Time is the Longest Distance
by judybrowneyes
Summary: In a shocking event, two men from the future beam in to the Enterprise. They inform Captain Kirk that in 98 years the ultimate fate of the entire Federation will hang in the balance unless Dr. McCoy intervenes.
1. Chapter 1

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Prologue**

" **There will be time, there will be time**

 **To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet."**

 **T.S. Eliot**

Captain James T. Kirk sat in his Captain's chair surveying his Alpha shift crew at work, and contemplating the vast expanse of this section of the Alpha quadrant on the view screen. It was still pretty early, and the bridge was quiet. The only sounds were a Uhura's soft voice speaking into her comm and the occasional clicks and staccato beeps of the various equipment as his crew worked at all the duty stations around him.

His massive ship was gliding serenely through space at a leisurely warp 1. There was a faint, a very faint thrum, under his feet, barely perceptible, except perhaps to the Captain and the Chief Engineer, Jim and Scotty, both having a finely honed sixth sense about anything and everything on their beloved ship. Warp 1 was only a baby's crawl for the ship's massive warp engines, but there was no need for speed to get to anywhere right now.

Jim smiled as he thought of yesterday and Scotty's response when Jim had ordered the decrease in speed from their usual warp 5. "There's no need to rush for the next couple of days, Scotty. No orders have come in for a new mission, so we can travel at our leisure and conserve the dilithium crystals."

His CE had smiled widely. "'Tis good to hear that, Captain. We do need to give the warp and impulse engines a rest occasionally. Seems my wee bairns are always taxed tae the maximum. Not that they can't handle it, of course," he'd added hastily, least Jim think his engines were running at less than their usual stellar capacity.

Jim had kept his face serious. "I know you and your engineers are always working to keep the engines in top condition, Scotty, but it's good to save the dilithium crystals when we can. We never know when we'll have to push the engines," he added, thinking of Romulans and Klingons suddenly popping out of nowhere and always itching for a fight with the mighty _Enterprise_.

"Aye, Captain. 'Tis best to take advantage of peace and quiet, so I'll be checking the crystals while we're only coasting, so to speak. Seems that resting me engines doesn't happen often, does it, now." Scotty had shaken his head dolefully and gone about his business.

So here they were, his beautiful ship encased in her warp bubble moving leisurely and sedately through other space. Jim watched the beauty of the star field as it wavered and flashed in the view screen. Hr turned his face as he heard the lift door open. It was Yeoman Rand with her dispatch pouch full to overflowing with padds for him to review and sign. Jim sighed. "Is it that time again, Janice?"

Janice looked sympathetic. "I'm afraid so, Captain. Mr. Spock has signed off on his monthly reports, so it's your turn, Sir. They must be sent to Command by end of Alpha shift tomorrow."

"It seems as if we do this way more often than once a month though," Jim murmured a bit mournfully looking at the number of padds overflowing from the dispatch bag.

Janice nodded. She knew the Captain hated paper work, and there was always a lot of it. She and Mr. Spock tried to lighten his load as much as possible when they could, taking care of almost all the routine reports. But there were still a large number of reports and Admiralty queries that only the Captain could take care of. She sent Spock a mute glance of appeal.

Spock came forward from the Science station. "Indeed, Captain. These are the operational reports and queries that are required by Command and that you must look at, but for the most part, I and Yeoman Rand take care of most of them." Spock looked at him steadily, with his usual patience and that impassivity that made Jim squirm a little. The embarrassed part of Jim also heard a tiny faint hint of impatience and reproach in the smooth baritone voice.

Looking at his unhappy Captain, Spock realized it was not logical to feel sympathy for Yeoman Rand. After all it was her job to assist the Captain in managing the increasingly burdensome number of reports he must attend to. But...enough was enough. There was no reason why she must go through the effort of cajoling the Captain to finish his reports on time every single month.

Jim looked up, a faint hint of guilt in his hazel eyes. In order for Spock to say anything about this at all, his two biggest helpers must really be fed up with his complaining. It was after all a part of his job, a job, that for the most part, he loved.

"Yes, yes, of course Mr. Spock. I know you and Ensign Rand try your best to ease my paper work burden as much as possible, and I appreciate it." He gave Janice his best smile. "I'll try to do better, Ensign, and I'll get right to these."

"Thank you, Captain. I'll pick them up at shift end." She returned his smile and turned to give Spock a look of gratitude. Spock gave her a small nod and returned to his viewer.

Janice handed Jim the pouch with the rest of his reports. In spite of their monthly paperwork difficulties, she knew that the Captain was the best of bosses. He was always kind, easy going, considerate and not demanding or exacting at all. She had heard from other yeoman that her positive situation was not always the case on other ship's and she knew she was lucky to serve on the _Enterprise_ under Captain Kirk. His quarterly evaluations of her work were always exemplary, and that was because Janice worked very hard and took great pride in doing her work perfectly. But...truth be told, she dreaded the end of the month when all the Captains' reports were due to the Admiralty. It was a struggle every month to get Captain Kirk to finish them in order for her to turn them in on time, and not turning them in on time reflected on her and not on him.

She saw the Captain was already deep in his reports and that the bridge had settled back down to their tasks with their usual quiet efficiency. Janice waved a quick goodbye to Uhura and entered the lift.

Jim worked steadily on his mountain of padds, putting them back in the dispatch pouch as he finished each one. One by one the number diminished until, with a deep breath and a long back stretch, Jim finished. Spock appeared at his side as if by magic. "I'll take those from you, Captain. I have a few of my own to add to the dispatch bag. I'll see to getting it back to Yeoman Rand."

"Thanks Spock," Jim told him, holding back a smile. He knew he was being managed, but he let it slide. After all, he'd brought it on himself with his complaining.

Jim looked at his chronometer. It was almost lunch time and he was hungry. Just as he was about to give Spock the con, the lift door opened again. Bones.

"Hey, Jim. Spock."

"Bones, I was wondering where you were?"

"Doctor McCoy, greetings." Spock inclined his head slightly.

Leonard rolled his eyes at Spock's formality. "It's mighty slow in Sick Bay, so I took advantage to catch up on our inventory. We're short a few things, so I sent you my requisitions, Spock."

"Indeed, Doctor," Spock looked down at his padd. "I have received them and will see to ordering the drugs you have requested."

"'Preciate it, Mr. Spock."

Leonard came to stand beside Jim's chair and rocked on his heels. "Thought I'd check if you were ready for that lunch, I promised you, Jimbo. Today's the day. Chicken and dumplings day...chef promised she'd let me know when she was gonna' fix them and she did." He grinned in anticipation.

"Chef spoils you, Bones. She doesn't let me know when chicken fried steak is on the menu."

Leonard's blue eyes twinkled. "That's cause you're an Iowa boy, not Georgia born like me and Chef."

Jim laughed. "There is that. I best tell Ma you think Georgia cooking is superior to her Iowa cooking."

Leonard cast him a fierce look. "Don't you dare, Jim Kirk, don't even think of it, else there'll be some extra hypos in your future," he threatened. "There's no better cook than Winona Kirk. The woman does magic with food."

Jim sighed thinking of the wonderful meals he'd eaten at his mother's table. "You can say that again, Bones. But let's not tell Chef, okay?"

"My mama didn't raise no fool, Captain. I know which side my present bread is buttered on."

Jim led the way to the Officer's Mess and Leonard raised an eyebrow at him. They usually ate in the general mess with the crew who were off the same shift for lunch, Jim liked to interact with his crew and he kept a close eye on the pulse of his ship. The crew also enjoyed interacting with their Captain. "Today I'd like some peace and quiet, Bones, and my eyes are tired from looking at my padds all morning."

"After lunch well go to Sick Bay and I'll put some drops in your eyes, Jim. That'll help."

The door opened and a young waiter came in. "Captain, Doctor? What can I bring you for lunch.?"

"Just let Chef know we're here, Johnson. She's got somethin' set aside for the Captain and me," Bones told him.

Thomas nodded. "Will do, Sir. What would you like to drink with your meal?"

"Sweet tea for both of us. Alright with you, Jim?"

Jim nodded and stretched his back. He needed some gym time, his muscles felt tight and achy. He ran his fingers through his sandy hair and tried to relax and enjoy his lunch with Bones.

Their meal was brought in and both men dug in. Chef had outdone herself; the chicken was tender, the dumplings fluffy, not a bit soggy, and the gravy smooth and creamy. "Delicious," murmured Leonard, blue eyes content and mouth full.

"We'll have to tell Chef how much we enjoyed it, Bones. Hadn't had a good meal like this since we were at Ma's."

"Damn straight." Leonard leaned back in his chair and sipped his tea. "Wonder what we're getting for dessert?"

The mess door opened and Johnson came in with a tray on which were two dessert plates of pecan pie topped with whipped cream and two cups of coffee. He grinned when he saw Leonard's eyes open wide. "A little surprise from Chef," he told them, setting the plates and coffee cups down and removing the luncheon plates.

"Thomas, you tell Chef that as soon as she's done with her husband, I'm next in line for her hand in marriage," Leonard eyed his pie, utter bliss on his face.

"Sorry, Sir. You're spot in the line is way down. Half the crew is ahead of you."

Jim laughed. "You should have known, Bones. I've got the smartest crew in the quadrant. Thank you, Johnson. Give Chef our compliments and tell her she's outdone herself."

"Will do, Captain. Enjoy, Sirs."

The pecan pie melted in their mouths and the coffee was fresh brewed, not the replicated abomination which they both loathed, but which often had to do.

"Wonderful meal, Bones. Thanks for inviting me." His hazel eyes were alight with pleasure as he smiled his sunshine smile at Bones.

"That's what best friends are for, to provide nice surprises for you once in a while."

Jim raised his coffee cup. "Well then," he said, "here's to the best friend a man could have."

"Thanks, Jimmy," Leonard looked pleased. It was not often that Jim acknowledged the closeness of their long friendship, and it always touched and pleased Leonard when he did. Recently, there had been a few times when Leonard had felt eclipsed by Spock and the friendship that had grown between Jim and Spock. The Vulcan was so good at everything; stronger, smarter, faster, more efficient, quicker to heal, and, as the Captain's XO, Jim depended on him a lot. Really he had become indispensable to Jim, and that was as it should be, Leonard frequently told himself. So times like these, a simple lunch with just the two of them, was all the more special and enjoyable.

"Intruder alert! Intruder Alert." Suddenly blared the automated voice of the ship's computer.

Jim jumped up from his chair just as Spock's voice came on the All Call. "Security, report to Transporter room 1 deck 6. Confirm, Mr. Giotto."

"Confirmed, Mr. Spock. On our way." Came Giotto's voice on the All Call.

Jim reached for the wall toggle. "Spock, what's going on?"

"Unknown, Sir. Computer reports two life signs have materialized in transporter room 1. Scans indicate both are human. Security should be there now."

"I'll meet you there, Spock. Bones, with me."

Leonard hurried after Jim. What the hell? He might have known. It had been too quiet, too peaceful for too many days for things to stay that way.

The lift was waiting for them, thanks to the efficient Spock who had sent it immediately to the mess. "Deck 6," Jim said.

"What do you think's goin' on, Jim?"

"We'll soon find out." Jim's face was hard, his eyes intent. How had anyone bypassed all the ship's safety protocols against intruders, not to mention the shields which were at maximum as they traveled. How was it possible for them to get inside the ship? There had to be some new and powerful tech at work here for them to be able to do that.

The lift stopped at Deck 6 and both men strode to the transporter room. The door opened and Jim stopped at the door, Leonard almost bumping into him. Inside were two men flanked by and surrounded by Security Chief Giotto and his team. The two were in some sort of uniform, charcoal grey long sleeved shirts, dark pants, boots, and a chevron striped vest over the shirts. There was an unobtrusive insignia on the best, but the letters meant nothing to Jim. The two men looked to be in their late thirties or early forties and were unarmed. One of them had dark hair and eyes, the other man had thin red hair and blue eyes. They stood, seemingly relaxed and at ease, obviously waiting for the Captain, or someone in authority to appear. The transporter room door opened once more to admit Spock and Mr. Scott. Spock stood there for a few seconds, "fascinating," he murmured.

Scotty went directly to the console and began a detailed diagnostic. It was imperative that they determined how the two men had bypassed the transporter safeguards as well as the shields.

Jim stepped closer to the security detail. "I'm Captain James T. Kirk and you are trespassing on my ship, gentlemen. Who are you, how did you get here and what do you want?"

One of the men, the red haired one, stepped forward, only to be stopped abruptly by the phaser which one of Giotto's men pointed at him. He stopped, but faced Jim seemingly unfazed by the phaser pointing at his heart.

"Captain kirk, a pleasure to finally meet you in person. I'm Special Agent Marion Dulmur and this is my partner Special Agent Gariff Lucsly, Sir. We're with the Department of Temporal Investigations and we've come here for your help in saving the Federation. We're from a time far in your future, Captain, on a time travel mission to this present because we need your help to stop a galactic catastrophe."

Every person in the transporter room was shocked into dead silence until Jim heard Bones say, "Well, I'll be horn swoggled!"

Spock walked forward to face the agent. "How is it possible for the _Enterprise_ to assist you gentlemen in any way? If you are indeed from the future you know that time travel has been expressly forbidden to every member of the Federation.

"We don't need help from the _Enterprise_ , Mr. Spock." The stunned group staring at the two men didn't even blink an eye at the fact that this man, this man who said he was from the future, knew Mr. Spock's name.

Agent Dulmar turned to Leonard. "The person we've come to seek help from, Mr. Spock, is your Chief Medical Officer." He turned to Leonard. "We need help from you, Dr. Leonard McCoy."


	2. Chapter 2

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 2**

" **As if you could kill time**

 **Without injuring eternity."**

 **Henry David Thoreau**

Jim looked at the shocked faces around the transporter room, and most especially at Bones' incredulous expression. "Gentleman, I think it would be best if we continue this conversation in my briefing room. Mr. Giotto, please escort these two there. If they have their identifications and credentials, please examine them carefully. Post two guards outside the briefing room door, and you stay inside with them. Dr. McCoy, Mr. Spock, Mr. Scott and I will be with you shortly."

"Yes, Captain." Giotto herded the two agents together and led them out of the door, the rest of security team immediately surrounded them.

When Security and the two prisoners had left the room, Jim turned to Scotty. "What did your diagnostics find out about the transporters, Scotty? Were they tampered with? How did these two beam in here? How did they bypass our transporter safeguards, and more urgently, are they really from the future?

Scotty looked up from the console where he had been busily working with the circuits and his sensors, his dark eyes wide and awed. "Aye, Captain. My sensors' readouts indicate that they transported in by using some sort of highly advanced temporal transporter technology; technology far beyond what we have today, or that I can even understand. Their matter stream was broken down into subatomic particles then stored in a kind of a temporal quantum pattern buffer and there was some sort of doppler shift to bring them here to their destination in our time. The temporal transporter gave off a chroniton flux of 0.003 which totally bypassed our own transporters." He shook his head. "I cannae' see yet how 'twas done, or the quantum physics equations that are needed to do it, but I'm going to study the maths of it for sure. 'Tis amazing technology, Sir." ( **1)**

"I, too, would like to know how it was possible for them to come to our time stream from the future by means of a transporter, Mr. Scott," Spock said. "Most impressive."

"Very well, Scotty, it seems they are telling the truth. Let's go find out what this is all about. Bones, from what that Agent said, it has something to do with you."

Leonard looked totally bewildered. "Jim, what do some random future events have to so with me? I'm just an ole country doctor, how could I possibly help with, what was it that agent said, 'stopping a galactic catastrophe.' "

"You're most definitely not just an old country doctor, Bones, and I have no idea, but we're about to find out." Jim put a warm hand on the thin shoulder to usher him gently out the door. "Scotty, Spock, you're with Bones and me. I have a feeling we're going to need all of us to understand what's going on."

No one said a word inside the lift, each of them preoccupied with their own thoughts. The lift deposited them on the bridge and Jim saw that Spock had turned over the con to Sulu. The helmsman stood to relinquish the con, but the Captain waved Sulu back down. "She's still yours for a while more, Mr. Sulu. We'll be in the briefing room interrogating the intruders. Steady as she goes, Sulu."

"Aye, Sir. Everything's really quiet out there, and in here too."

"Let's hope it stays that way, Mr. Sulu. Stay sharp."

"Yes, Captain."

The two guards were at attention in front of the door as they approached the briefing room.

"Everything quiet, gentlemen?"

"Yes, Sir. Mr. Giotto is with the prisoners. I went in to check on them a minute ago, Captain, they're just sitting there quietly. No one is talking."

Jim nodded and they entered the room.

Dulmar and Lucsly stood when the four men entered. Giotto nodded to Jim and moved back into a corner, his phaser still at the ready pointing at the men.

"Alright, Gentlemen, we're here and we're ready to hear what this all about. Mr. Giotto, did their credentials and ID badges tell us anything?" Jim's clipped speech seethed with impatience.

"Their credentials appear to be genuine, Captain. I scanned them and ran them through the main computer. They are not forgeries. They also told me their badge insignia stand for Department of Temporal Investigation and it also acts as their device for time travel."

"And just what is it that your department of Temporal Investigation does, Agent Dulmar?" Jim asked the red headed agent. He seemed to be the senior of the two agents.

"Captain Kirk, if I may explain. Our Department of Temporal Investigation does not yet exist in your time, it will be founded in the year 2270, by the Federation Council in response to several incidents of what they perceived to be a cavalier use of time travel. One of those incidents being the use of The Guardian of Forever by yourselves in the year 2266, a few months ago."

Spock opened his mouth to protest the use of the word cavalier, but Agent Dulmar held up his hand and spoke first. "I used the Federation Council's words, Commander. It does not mean I agree with the sentiment. Indeed all of our DTI agents agree that the courageous actions of you and your Captain saved the timeline on Earth from irreparable damage. It would have been catastrophic if Hitler had won World War II." He bowed his head in a slight tribute to Jim and Spock. "As a matter of fact, and providentially, as a direct consequence of your time travel, DTI agents have since been placed on the planet where The Guardian of Forever is located in order to guard the Guardian and prevent its further use except for an extreme emergency."

The four men were silent at this, each remembering their own part in what had happened, the utter horror and heartbreak of that mission, especially for Jim and Bones.

Dulmar cleared his throat and continued. "However, yours has not been the only time incursion incident, there have been others, I'm afraid. Unfortunately, since the Guardian incident, our agents have had to intervene several times to correct the timeline. I'm sorry, but I cannot be more specific in describing those incidents. I can happily report that thanks to our agents, we have thus far been very fortunate and Federation history has not been changed or disrupted in spite of these incursions. To continue," Agent Dulmar said. "Our department is tasked with ensuring that time travel events which occur under Federation jurisdiction are handled within the guidelines established by the Council to prevent contamination of the timeline." He stopped speaking, waiting for a comment or questions. When none were forthcoming, he continued. "And now that you know something about us and our department's responsibilities, we come to our current mission and the reason which has brought us here to your timeline, to your ship."

"Finally," muttered Leonard.

"Captain, I think we should sit down for the telling of this tale," Scotty announced. "No reason to stand here being uncomfortable, is there, Sirr?"

"No reason at all. Take a seat, Gentlemen."

Everyone scrambled around the large briefing table to sit down.

Jim glanced at Giotto, giving him a wordless order. _Stay alert._

Giotto gave him a tiny nod and came forward to stand quietly behind the agents.

"Please, continue with your story, Agent Dulmar."

"I think Agent Lucsly can tell it better than I can, Captain. He has been closely monitoring this time line for several months now. Gariff?"

Agent Lucsly nodded and cleared his throat looking intently at them. "As you can imagine, Captain the information I am going to share with you is highly classified. Knowledge of a future timeline by outsiders is something we try to avoid at all costs. It is imperative that no one in this room speak of it ever. Is that clear? I have your word?"

Jim glanced around at his most trusted officers. "Of course, Agent Lucsly. You have my word, none of us will speak of what you tell us. I trust everyone here completely and absolutely."

"Very well, Sir, I accept your word. Now then. In the year 2365, 98 years from now, the _Enterprise D_ will be captained by an officer named Jean Luc Picard."

Scotty's eyes suddenly gleamed at the knowledge that a hundred years from now, there would still be another beautiful lady, named _Enterprise_. He and Jim exchanged a happy glance.

"In that year, a new and lethal entity will appear in a far distant part of the Alpha quadrant, a totally unexplored area, they will become known as The Borg. They appeared very briefly in a prior timeline, but they did not disturb this present and future timeline at that time. The Borg are a vast collection of "drones", cybernetic organisms linked in a hive mind called "the Collective" or "the Hive". What they do is co-opt the technology and knowledge of other species as they travel through the galaxy. The Borg come to the Collective through the process of "assimilation. They transform individual beings into drones by force, injecting microscopic nanoprobes into their bodies and surgically augmenting them with cybernetic components. The Borg's ultimate goal is to "achieve perfection".

Here Agent Lucsly drew a small instrument from his vest. Giotto sprang forward. "It's only a holographic projector, Commander. There is no need for alarm." He handed it to Jim who palmed it, looked it over, nodded and handed it back. Agent Lucsly tuned it on, and there, projected above the table, was a picture of a Borg Cube.

"This is their ship," Lucsly said as the men stared at it in fascination.

"We've been calling it a cube due to its shape. It has amazing capabilities, they include long range transporters, high warp and transwarp capabilities." He looked at Scotty. "You don't know those equations yet, Mr. Scott," he commented. "They also have self-regeneration properties, multiple-redundant systems, adaptability to assaults, tractor and cutting beams and a type of missle weaponry. Different types and sizes of Cubes have been observed in the timeline, as well have as a different shape we call a Borg Sphere. These are launched from a Cube in similar fashion to an escape pod."

"Fascinating," Spock murmured.

"'Tis unbelievable," Scotty said, his voice awed.

The holograph switched to show the image of a being. "This, gentlemen, is a Borg, a cybernetic being which was once a humanoid, but was absorbed into the collective to become a drone, and part of the hive mind. They no longer have any autonomy." Lucsly sighed. "The Borg are commanded by the Borg Queen." He brought up a holograph of what was obviously a female being. "The Borg Queen is the focal point within the Borg collective consciousness and a unique drone within the collective. We know she originated from Species 125. Her function, as far as we can ascertain, is to bring "order into chaos". She refers to herself as "we" and "I" interchangeably. From what we have observed of the Queen's dialogue, it suggests she is an expression of the Borg Collective's overall intelligence. She seems to be the one who explicitly directs, commands, and even overrides the Collective."

He returned to the holo of a single Borg and continued. "Borgs usually only have one eye, which is really a very sophisticated ocular implant. It allows them to see beyond the human visual spectrum. The implant projects a red laser beam, which different Borg use for various tasks, including disabling those they want to assimilate. They also usually have one arm replaced with a prosthetic one, which has a variety of multipurpose tools in place of a humanoid hand. Since different drones have slightly different roles, the arm may be specialized for medical purposes, or weaponized for tactical usage. As you can see, their skin is white, with a "slick" look to it, and with their veins showing. We have seen that the Borg drones have the ability to survive in the vacuum of space which means they have no need for environmental or hazmat suits. This is, as you cam imagine, a huge advantage in a battle."

Lucsly, turned to his partner. "Marion?"

Marion Dulmar took up the narrative. "When we first became aware of the Borg, they were more interested in assimilating technology than people. That soon changed. As they became more powerful, they began to roam the universe assimilating starships, planets, and entire societies to collect new technology. Some races they deemed to be technologically inferior and not worth assimilating, however we soon began to see that they started to assimilate the children of a conquered race and place them in maturation chambers, to quickly and fully grow them into mature drones that could be used, thus enlarging their number rapidly. Assimilation is mostly done by the use of nanoprobes implanted into bodies. Some drones are genderless, but some have gender, we don't know why this happens. The Borg have already assimilated millions of lifeforms by using these nanoprobes."

"Children!" Exclaimed the horrified Scotty. "'Tis an abomination!"

"It is, Mr. Scott," Agent Dulmar agreed, somberly.

"So this is what awaits humanity in the future?" Jim asked quietly. "Assimilation into this collective."

"Yes, if Dr. McCoy does not intervene."

"Me?" McCoy asked, startled. "What could I possibly do against these monsters?"

"In examining the Borg timeline when it crossed into the human timeline, we discovered that the then Captain of the _Enterprise_ , encountered them in the year 2365. He was captured and assimilated into the Borg collective."

"What?" Jim interjected. "But..."

Agent Lucsly held out his hand. "Wait, Captain. There's more."

Agent Dulmar continued. "After he was captured and assimilated, the Command crew of the _Enterprise_ D undertook a rescue mission and retrieved the Captain. The CMO of the ship was able to remove the implants and nanoprobes and retrieved Captain Picard's body and mind. With the help of the Android Data, they were able to defeat the Borg Queen, thus defeating the collective and they destroyed the main cube. They now had no direction. It was that which saved the galaxy and the Federation."

"Well, now, that's a relief," Scotty said.

"It would seem so, Mr. Scott. However, in the year 2345, something happened in the timeline which prevented these events from happening in the year 2365, which brings us to why we're here."

"What happened, and again how am I in this?" Bones asked.

Another holographic projection came up. "This is the linear chart of your female descendants, Dr. McCoy, from the present, starting with you, through to the next 98 years."

 **Dr. Leonard McCoy**

 **Dr. Joanna McCoy-DeSoto**

 **Dr. Leonora McCoy-Ritter**

 **Dr. Savanna McCoy-Russell**

 **Dr. Eleanora Susanna McCoy-Howard**

 **Dr. Beverly McCoy Howard-Crusher CMO of the Enterprise D**

Everyone's eyes were riveted on the names. "They all kept my name," murmured the dazed Leonard.

"Yes. You were remembered as a highly revered physician and ancestor, Dr. McCoy. It was done to honor your memory. As you can see all your female descendants are physicians, even Beverly Crusher. It was she, as the CMO on the _Enterprise_ D who saved Captain Picard, and through her actions saved the Federation. However our second look as we monitored that timeline, showed that something drastic had changed. The CMO who was on the _Enterprise_ D was not Dr. Crusher and was not skilled enough to do save Captain Picard and he died. Thus with Captain Picard dead, he, the Command crew, and Mr. Data could not defeat the Borg Queen, and the collective systematically entered Federation space and assimilated every species in the Federation Worlds. Not even all the combined efforts of the entire Federation, even with the combined powerful assistance of the Romulans, the Klingons, the Benzets, Zakdorians, and the Cardassians, were enough to defeat them. The entire quadrant fell to the Borg."

Jim cleared his suddenly clogged throat. "What happened? Why didn't she become a doctor like the rest of her female ancestors."

"As near as we can ascertain, something momentous happened when she was ten years old, that changed her mind, and thus changed the timeline. We have not been able to discern exactly what that was in order for us to intervene. Prior to that time, she had made up her mind to become a doctor, and even at age ten, from what we can discern from our records, she was quite definite about her career choice. Then sometime between November 21 and December 3, something happened to change her mind. It was after that time our records indicate that she decided she would study engineering."

"Engineering!" Exclaimed the outraged voice of Leonard. Jim hid a smile at the outrage.

Dulmar nodded. "Engineering. That's the choice she made, and that's the choice that changed future history. But all is not lost, Gentlemen. That is why we have come to your time so that future history can be fixed, so all that should be, that was, will be again."

"And how is that going to happen?" Spock, who had been silent up to now, asked.

"We want to send Dr. McCoy into the future to interact with the young Beverly Crusher during those pivotal days and change her mind back to her first choice of becoming a Doctor. It is our belief that appearing in her young life as a long lost direct descendent of her revered ancestor, Dr. Leonard McCoy, you will be able to influence the child and she will return to her original career choice."

Leonard looked aghast. "How the hell am I supposed to do that? Thats crazy!" He locked panicked blue eyes on Jim. "Jim...!"

Jim put a consoling hand on his arm and looked sternly at the two agents. "There's absolutely no way I'm letting Bones travel to the future to do this alone," he told them.

"We don't expect him to, Captain. The fate of the Alpha quadrant is too heavy a burden to place on the shoulders of any one man. You will go with the doctor to assist him, council him, be his companion in his new "persona". We also will travel with you. You must understand, we can do nothing overt to assist you, that is not our role, and we are severely constrained by our oath as Agents, but we can offer council and suggestions to help you in your mission."

Agent Lucsly spoke up. "There are some issues that must be addressed prior to the mission. First and foremost a plan, a cover story, must be conceived that will not arise suspicion when you approach and have any interaction with the child, and her grandmother. Secondly, your appearance must be somewhat modified. Even 100 years from now, your faces are well known, easily recognized. Your ship's exploration, your battles, your missions, the faces of you and your crew are in every Starfleet and Federation history book, Captain. Let me assure that if you are successful in your mission, nothing will change. You will return here to your time line, with the memories of what you've done, but no time will have passed for the two of you. You will be returned to the moment you left here. The changes in the time line that will occur will take place in Beverly's, and later, in Jean Luc Picard's timeline and will not affect your own. We will monitor your actions very closely, you need not fear doing something untoward to disrupt the time line further. All that remains now is for you, Dr. McCoy, to decide if you will undertake this mission. We can do no more until you have made your decision."

Lucsly sighed tiredly. "Captain, if we may. Time travel is very tiring, both physically and psychologically. We train for this of course, but we've been time traveling more often than is recommended. Is there some place my colleague and I could rest while you and your officers discuss this and make your decision?"

Jim looked at the two men. They did look exhausted and he and his officers, and most especially Bones, needed to talk about all of this. "Yes of course, Agent Lucsly. Commander Giotto, please escort Agents Dulmar and Lucsly to guest quarters. Have a Security team posted at the door and have the mess prepare a meal for them. Do either of you need any sort of medical attention?" He asked the two men.

"No, thank, you Captain. Rest is what we desperately need."

"Very well, we'll reconvene back here at 1700 hours. If we have any further questions for you, we'll address them to you after you rest. "

The briefing room door opened and they watched Giotto, with phaser still in hand, gather up his men as the door closed behind them.

Jim turned to Bones, worry etched on his face. "Are you alright, Bones? This all has to be overwhelming for you."

Leonard nodded. "It's too much to take in, Jim. That one of my descendants has the fate of the Alpha quadrant in her hands. I can't help but think what if it had been Joanna?"

"In a way it is Miss Joanna, Dr. McCoy. It is she who begins the line of the female physicians in your family. In a way, it all rests on her."

Jim threw Spock a fierce glare. Bones was stressed enough already, there was no need to add to his distress by throwing Joanna in his face.

"Yeah, I get that Spock." Leonard glared. "But it's not directly in her tiny hands. I'm thinkin' of the child, Beverly Crusher, not even realizin' she holds the fate of the whole Alpha quadrant in her little hands. Jim, seems like I have no choice but to do what I can to help my great, great, great, granddaughter, don't you think so?"

"Knowing you, Bones, I didn't think you'd do anything else but try to fix things. I'll be with you every step of the way."

"I know you will, Jimmy. Don't really think I'd even attempt it without you." He gave Jim a wan, affectionate smile.

"Now we just have to think up a good cover story for ourselves and how we can change our appearance so we're not recognized." Jim gave his officers a pleased smile. "Imagine that. We're in the history books, gentlemen. Scotty," he turned to the other lover of the _Enterprise_. "Our beautiful lady and the officers who sailed on her are in the history books."

"'Course she is, Sirr. Our bonny ship could naught be anything but famous, Captain."

"Let's adjourn the briefing for now. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry. I'm ready for coffee and a snack. We can continue this a bit later. It's a lot to take in, and I think, you need a little time to process all this Bones."

"You got that right, Jim. My brain is overloaded with way too much information, and a restorative cup of coffee wouldn't go amiss. I could sure use a break right now."

Spock opened his mouth to comment, but a glare from Jim stopped him.

Leonard didn't notice as he stood and stretched his muscles. Jim put a gentle hand on the tense arm. "Then let's take one."

—-

 **(1) made up transporter techno babble here.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 3**

 **"Time present and time past**

 **Are both perhaps present in time future**

 **And time future contained in time past."**

 **T.S. Eliot,**

 **Four Quartets**

After their meal where conversation was kept completely away from time travel, little girls, and DTI agents, Lt. Commander Giotto reported that the two agents still had not stirred. Jim ordered Leonard back to Sick Bay for a short while to try to take his mind off everything until the agents woke up and they would all reconvene in the briefing room.

He went back to the bridge, and shortly thereafter, Spock approached the Captain's chair. "Sir." Spock kept his voice low.

"Yes, Mr. Spock?" Jim responded just as softly.

"As your First Officer, I feel it is my duty to strongly advice you against accompanying Dr. McCoy in this time travel endeavor. Our last experience, going into the past, following Dr. McCoy into the Guardian of Forever, was fraught with difficulties and ended in tragedy," Spock told Jim bluntly.

Jim winced at the memory of that ill fated mission. "Duly noted, Mr. Spock. However, that time travel incident was accidental, unplanned, rushed, and undertaken without adequate preparation."

"Nevertheless, Sir, your place is on the ship. Your value to the ship and crew as our Captain and Commander cannot be overstated, therefore I offer myself as a companion to Dr. McCoy in your stead, Captain."

"Thank you, Mr. Spock, I appreciate your offer, but that's not going to happen. First because Bones wouldn't go for it, second, because Bones really wouldn't go for it, and third, there's absolutely no way I'm letting him go by himself or with anyone else. He's my dearest friend and he needs my complete support and help on this mission. He's always been there for me, always. He's saved me countless times, so I'll be the one going with him."

Spock nodded. He turned on his heels and returned to his Science station. It was the response he'd expected from the Captain. He knew that the doctor and the Captain were the closest of friends, and had been so since well before serving on the _Enterprise_. However, it was only logical to try to dissuade the Captain from such a hazardous mission. Traveling into the future could be fraught with complications and difficulties, and as First Officer it was his duty to offer alternatives to his Captain.

Jim's chair comm beeped. "Captain, Giotto here. They're awake," the Security Chief said, softly, cautiously, not wanting to name the agents on the Bridge comm.

"Thank you, Lt. Commander. Please escort the two men to the briefing room. By the way, have they eaten yet? And you and your Security detail?"

"No, Sir. No one has."

"Have the Mess prepare some sandwiches. And, Frank, before you bring them here, call in some reliefs and take a short break for yourself and your men to eat. It's going to be a long briefing for all of us. Dr. McCoy, Mr. Spock and I have already eaten. The briefing can wait a few more minutes."

"Aye, Captain, thank you. Giotto out."

Jim toggled his chair comm.

"Sick Bay. Nurse Chapel."

"Nurse Chapel, where is Dr. McCoy?"

"He's in the storeroom taking inventory, Sir. Again." She sounded a bit exasperated.

Jim kept the smile out of his voice. Doing inventory is what Bones always did when he was nervous or worried.

"Please ask Dr. McCoy to report to my briefing room in 20 minutes."

"Yes, Captain."

Jim turned to his helmsman. "Mr. Sulu, you'll have the con when the briefing begins."

Jim rose from the chair and went over to Spock's station. "Spock, while Bones and I gone, I want you and Scotty to break down the transporter event of those two agents. The two of you try to extract those equations from the transporter. You never know when or where we might have to recreate it. According to the agents," he added speaking very quietly, "there are, will be, and have been other time excursions and I'd dearly like to know how they were accomplished." Jim's hazel eyes gleamed with curiosity, that insatiable desire inherent in him to know.

Spock looked at him dubiously. "Captain, the two agents said they would return you to the exact time when you will leave the ship. If that is so, then Mr. Scott and I would not have done the transporter research yet when your return."

"I've thought of that, Spock. I want you to input everything you and Scotty do into the ship's mainframe computer, even the smallest and most insignificant research findings. Our computer will store it regardless of any time dilation we may experience."

Spock expression lightened in approval. "Excellent plan, Captain. The ship's computer does not perceive time as we do. Indeed it does not perceive time at all within its memory capacitors, there is no past or future for the ship's computer, it exists in its own constant present. When it announces time for us, it is an artificial construct that we, ourselves, have programmed into it for the convenience of the beings on board."

"Exactly," Jim said triumphantly. Maybe, he thought, Spock, his 14 Science labs, and Scotty's genius, could crack the equations the agents used. He went back to his chair to wait for the two agents and Bones to come to the bridge. It was only 15 minutes later when Bones came out of the lift.

"Am I early, Jim? I was too antsy to just sit in my office."

"It's fine, Bones. You can keep me company. We'll start as soon as our guests get here. They hadn't eaten, so I had Frank order some sandwiches for them. He said they slept this whole time."

Bones lowered his voice. "I did a little readin' and research while I was in my office. It's all theoretical of course, the writers not knowin' about how we've already done some actual time travel, and how we know it's not just theory. Anyway, the abstracts I read propose, and I agree with them, that it would be extremely stressful to the human body tampering with it's temporal stability, but it would be even more difficult psychologically. Remember how we all felt when we came back through the Guardian, Jim? Our bodies and minds were all worn out, it took several days for us to feel better. We thought it was because of what we went through in the past, our grief and worry, but now I'm thinkin' it was actually more because of the time dilation effect on our bodies. I should have done some more investigatin' when we got back," he added ruefully, "but we felt better after a week or so, so I didn't."

Jim nodded, remembering all too well, how besides his grief over Edith's death, he and Bones, and even Spock, with his amazing Vulcan stamina, felt drained of energy and strength and how their recovery had been slow. He brought his attention back to what Bones was telling him.

"Our humanoid psyche is rooted in the temporal now, Jim. Humanoids see the past through the lens of memory, the present is where we live, but the future is always a guessing game for us. Our psyches, our brains, are not programmed to be in the future like they are in the present. I'm sure these agents have received a tremendous amount of training and conditioning in order to handle all this traipsin' through time, maybe there's even some new type of medical intervention from their doctors that I don't know anythin' about." He lowered his voice even more, his soft Southern drawl more pronounced with his concern. "We all went into the past, Jim, a place we knew at least a little bit about, but it was still very difficult for us to adjust to that era."

Jim nodded again, remembering their time in Old New York City's past. It _had_ been very difficult for he and Spock to earn a living there, to keep Spock's Vulcan identity hidden, to disguise their knowledge of the technologically advanced nature of their own time so vastly different from the 1930's they were in. In the end, after the tragedy of Edith Keeler, they couldn't get back to their ship fast enough, all of them relieved that they could leave the past, the poverty, prejudice, disease, and tragedy, yet all the time knowing about the future that was coming to Earth, a future with a long, terrible World War looming in the horizon.

"I cain't help but worry about how we'll both fare physically and mentally a hundred years from now." Leonard looked at Jim, his blue eyes vulnerable, but steadfast. "Maybe you shouldn't go with me, Jim. It might be real dangerous."

"Bones. I'm going with you, and that's that. There's no way I'm letting you do this alone. We'll figure it out," Jim smiled reassuringly. "We always do, don't we?"

Leonard smiled slightly at his friend, his eyes grateful. "We do, don't we."

The lift door opened and all eyes on the bridge turned toward it. The two agents, escorted by Giotto and his men, stepped out. Jim stood and stepped away from his chair, and Sulu slid smoothly into it in the flawless relief dance of the Command crew perfected by much practice.

"Gentlemen, into the briefing room please. Mr. Spock, you're with me."

The automatic door hissed behind them as they gathered together around the big briefing room table. Jim examined the two agents closely. They looked much better, rested and more relaxed.

"Gentlemen. Shall we get started? Frank, please post two Security Officers outside the door." Giotto nodded to two of his men and they went out the door to do sentry duty. No one would disturb the briefing.

"Please sit down."

The two agents sat as did Jim, Bones and Spock. Jim looked at the two agents expectantly. "Gentlemen, Mr. Spock will take notes of what you tell us. Please begin."

"Thank you Captain," Agent Dulmar said, clearing his throat. "First things first. Before we arrived, Agent Lucsly and I discussed at length the nature of your your disguises for this mission. We feel this should be addressed first before we proceed any further to determine if our plans meet with your approval. Our idea was that Dr. McCoy will be disguised as a much older gentleman, a retired doctor in fact, at leisure now to travel as he desires after many years of a thriving medical practice on Earth in Georgia. We'll gray his hair, add a gray mustache and a full beard. Also, we'll use temporary eye color to darken his blue eyes. We don't want to go overboard, and we think those few changes will be more than enough to hide his identity yet still look natural. As for you, Captain, we want you to travel as his young nephew, accompanying your elderly uncle to insure his well being and assist him in his research. We thought this was a good enough reason for you to be at his side. We also thought we'd darken and curl your hair, lighten your eye color to gray and darken your fair skin...a tan befitting the sunshine and warm climate of Georgia. Those physical changes should be sufficient if you are both are in agreement.

Jim looked at Bones and saw agreement on his face. "Works for us, Agent Dulmar."

"Good, good. We're happy those few changes meet with your approval. It's always best not complicate things too much. Your cover stories will also be simple." He turned to Leonard. "Doctor, you too, will be a descendant of Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, but a descendent who is not in his direct line. You have an uncle on your father's side, is this correct?"

"Yes, my Uncle Samuel Ulysses McCoy, 5 years younger than my daddy. He's still healthy, spry, and living in Georgia."

The two agents nodded. "So we discovered. You two will present yourselves as his descendants. In your retirement you have acquired a new and engrossing hobby, Doctor, genealogy. You're indulging yourself with a thorough on-site genealogical study of your famous several times Great Uncle, Dr. Leonard H. McCoy. After your retirement, and as a fellow doctor, you decided to write a biography of your illustrious ancestor. You, accompanied by your nephew, have for several months, been conducting extensive research about him, visiting as many descendants of his as you have been able to find. You've been interviewing them in the hope of discovering if anyone has additional historical data or anecdotes that you could use in your book. Your nephew is helping you with those interviews."

Leonard opened his mouth to ask an obvious question.

"Don't worry, Doctor, Agent Lucsly and I will provide you with the extensive "research notes" from all the other descendants you have already interviewed, both on Earth and on other planets. It's as simple a cover story as we could come up with and that would be difficult to disprove. We have found in our time travels that the simpler the cover story the better."

Agent Lucsly spoke up. "You, too, will carry the McCoy name from your Great, Great, Great Uncle Samuel's side, Doctor, just as all your direct descendants in the female line carried yours. We have assigned you the name of Dr. Rafael Jonathon McCoy Davis. You, Captain, will be James Samuel McCoy Davis. We felt it would be easier for Dr. McCoy if he could call you by your given name, and as it's a fairly common name, even a hundred years in the future, it won't attract undue attention. You both will have your ID chips with all your necessary identification data on them. We can assure you the ID chips will pass the closest scrutiny, although I doubt it will come to that."

Jim reflected that the two agents seemed to have covered everything they would need for their disguises. It would be up to Dr. M'Benga to use his skills to implement their facial disguises and make sure they'd hold up to close scrutiny.

Jim noticed the two agents exchanging a glance. "We now come to the most delicate part of your mission, Gentlemen," Agent Lucsly said, his face somber. "This are your interactions and the implications of said interactions with the ten year old Beverly Howard Crusher. We've prepared a complete dossier on her from her birth to age ten when you will meet her. I've just sent a copy of the dossier to your padds. It's extremely important that you memorize everything in the file. Agent Dulmar and I will go over every detail of her life that we've gathered. Just remember that the least little bit of information we share with you about the child may become extremely important once you're both out in the field and interacting with her. We do not want to interfere in her time line beyond the pertinent age because the chances of changing her future increases with every interaction after that time. We need to avoid that at all costs."

"Hell, yes!" Leonard snapped, thinking of his own Joanna. "She's just a little girl, we sure don't need to be messin' with her future more than we absolutely have to."

Their padds pinged. "The dossiers on Beverly are now in your padds, Captain. We have bulleted and highlighted the most important points, but really everything is important for you to read and memorize. Shall I go ahead?" Agent Dulmar asked Jim.

"Bones? Are you ready for this part?"

Leonard nodded, but his blue eyes still looked troubled. "Guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," he responded. "Go ahead."

"Before you start, Agent Dulmar, when do you anticipate the start of this mission? How much time do we have to prepare before we have to leave?" Jim asked.

"While it is true that time is of the essence, Captain, we have allowed ourselves a window of a few days to prepare you. We have allocated one full day, tomorrow, in fact, for you and the doctor to commit the briefing information to memory and for us to discuss anything you're not clear about, and then another full day to prepare your disguises. There is also a medication available to lessen time travel sickness that must be administered. We'll go over that with you later." Leonard looked over at Jim. It was what he'd thought. Medical intervention was available for time travel.

Agent Dulmar continued. "Your disguises, however, are of the utmost importance. It would not do for any one to notice a too close resemblance to your true identities. Dr. Rafael Jonathon McCoy Davis and James Samuel McCoy Davis' identities must be above suspicion." Agent Dulmar glanced over at Agent Lucsly. "Go ahead."

Agent Lucsly cleared his throat noisily. "Very well. Gentlemen, please follow along and feel free to make additional notes if you so wish. Beverly McCoy Howard was born on Luna, in the year of 2324. Her parents died when she was just a toddler and she went to live with her grandmother, Dr. Felicia Howard, on the colony planet of Arvada III. While they were living on Arvada III, there was a catastrophic Moon collision which caused massive flooding and earthquakes on Arvada III, and forced a total evacuation of the planet. It was during this terrible time that Beverly, seeing her doctor grandmother's resourcefulness, and helping her gather herbs, grasses, tree chemicals, and roots to use as medicine when their usual medicines ran out, decided to become a doctor. Although still a very young child, she began helping her grandmother with the sick and injured and learned a lot from Felicia."

"Atta girl," muttered McCoy. "A true healer in the makin'."

Dulmar nodded. "So we all thought. In the correct timeline, we agents observed that it was her grandmother's career as a healer and Beverly's own caring, sensitive nature, as well as her innate brilliance, that sparked her desire to follow in her grandmother's footsteps to become a doctor. The horrific disaster on Arvada III only served to strengthen that desire in her. After the Arvada III mass evacuation, the Federation settled the evacuees and Beverly and her grandmother on Caldos II, another colony planet, where Felicia Howard resumed her highly successful medical practice, and where they lived until Beverly entered Starfleet Academy."

Lucsly took up the narrative. "As far as we can determine, they lived on Caldos II in a small house peacefully, happily, and uneventfully. Beverly attended school there and received a good, well rounded education, until she graduated in 2342 and entered Starfleet Academy. When she received her notification that she was accepted to the Academy, she told her grandmother that she didn't want to leave Felicia alone, but her grandmother was adamant that Beverly not lose her great opportunity. She insisted that Beverly go back to Earth to take her coveted spot at the Academy. In our observations of the correct timeline, Beverly excelled in her studies and she went on to attend Medical school there." The agent sighed tiredly. "Of course in the altered timeline, none of those things happened. Beverly did not decide to attend the Academy nor did she go to medical school, so it is to Caldos II where we will be sending you and the Captain, Doctor McCoy, because it is there, that we whatever happened to change her mind about becoming a doctor, happened. It was not possible for us to be more accurate pinpointed the exact time when the event happened. We were only able to narrow it down to a small ten day window. Time is so fluid, that we have found it is usually impossible to be more accurate, as you yourselves discovered when you went back in time to find Dr. McCoy in Old New York City."

Spock nodded. He and the Captain had had to wait many days before they found Dr. McCoy at the homeless shelter in New York.

Leonard worriedly chewed on his bottom lip. "How will we know what and when the event will be that changes her mind?"

"We will send you there a few days prior to that window of time, Doctor. You will be able to introduce yourselves as distant relatives to Dr. Howard and to Beverly, present your genealogy findings to Dr. Howard, get to know them both, establish rapport with Felicia and the child. In this way you'll be able to gain an understanding of her personality and childish motivations. We believe that her change of heart will probably be evident and quite vocal. We have researched and discovered that children of that age most often talk about their career choices, "what they want to be when they grow up," is, I believe, the usual terminology that they use."

Jim almost smiled. It was very evident that neither agent were parents, nor had ever had any experience or interactions with children.

Agent Dulmar cleared his throat again, a nervous habit, Jim thought. "Doctor, Captain, we've debated whether to share this last bit of information with you, and have decided it's best to do so in order to avoid an accidental time paradox. Safeguards must be taken when possible. However, we are not allowed to give you more information than what I'm about to share with you, so please don't ask. It's only because of the extreme gravity of this mission that we were given permission to share even this bit of knowledge with you." Dulmar breathed deeply in evident agitation.

Lucsly spoke up, his voice somber. "Doctor McCoy. In this time line, the correct one, the one all of you are currently existing in, you will still be alive when Beverly begins her assignment as CMO on the Enterprise D."

A shocked Leonard opened his mouth to speak, but the agent raised his hand to forestall him. "Yes, you will live to a very old age, Doctor. In fact, you will become the oldest officer to ever serve in Starfleet," he told the stunned Leonard.

Agent Dulmar interjected. "However, Doctor, all of that will become moot if you are unsuccessful with Beverly. If you and the Captain cannot change her mind back to her original decision to become a doctor, then because of the Borg, the existence of your future self, as well as the lives of the trillions of beings in the Alpha quadrant will undoubtedly cease to exist."


	4. Chapter 4

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 4**

" **We** **are** **notes** **in** **the** **concert** **of** **existence** **."**

 **Mozart** **in** **the** **Jungle**

With Agent Dulmar's ominous words ringing in the silence that followed, Jim adjourned the formal briefing. Alpha shift was almost over and he could tell that Bones was mentally exhausted. Jim too, was feeling the strain. Normally a new mission energized and excited him, but this one, from their first encounter with the Department of Temporal Investigations, had produced a feeling of unease and even dread in his belly. He could only imagine what Bones must be feeling. Even the two agents looked worried and stressed. Only Spock appeared his usually serene self.

Jim knew that brilliant Vulcan brain was rapidly considering every aspect of their time travel mission,. He was weighing and discarding options, and already making plans to log and record every aspect of the mission with the knowledge that with the time dilation and their return to their own time, if it wasn't for the giant Positronic Brain of the _Enterprise_ main frame computer, their mission would become, in effect, null, non existent. Jim was no slouch as far as his computer skills were concerned, but Spock and Scotty were the geniuses where ship's computer systems were concerned.

Everyone at the table visibly relaxed when Jim adjourned the briefing. It had been a lot to take in. "I suggest we all go to our quarters, freshen up and meet in the officer's mess for dinner at 1830 hours. A relaxing dinner and an early night is called for. Bones, tomorrow we need to memorize everything we've been given today." He turned to Spock. "I'm turning Command of the ship over to you and Scotty starting with Alpha shift tomorrow, Spock. Bones and I will be very busy preparing for the next two days. You and Mr. Scott will take turns at the con. I know you still have the Science Department to supervise, and Scotty has his Engineering duties. Dr. M'Benga will act as temporary CMO."

"Of course, Captain. I will notify both officers immediately."

"Agent Dulmar, do we log anything about this mission or will it become a moot point when we return from the mission to the exact time we left?" Jim asked.

Agent Dulmar and Lucsly exchanged glances. "It would be wise to keep this mission a secret, Captain. Knowledge of time travel is not yet a given within the Federation. Only the Commander in Chief and a few select trusted physicists who deal with and investigate the highest classified missions, know of your use of the Guardian of Forever. It will not be for another three years that our department is set up by the Federation Council. We don't want to take a chance of changing the present time line by having this time travel mission recorded in your logs and accelerating the founding of our department."

Jim nodded in agreement as did Spock. "I concur, Sir. Keeping our own time line as it is meant to be, depends on us doing as little as possible to change it."

"Time travel and all this talk about disrupting it, is giving me a headache," Leonard said irritably. "I'm gonna go use a headache hypo before dinner. See you in a while, Gentlemen."

Jim looked at his retreating figure worriedly. "This is weighing very heavily on Dr. McCoy," he told the two agents.

"It is a heavy burden to carry, Captain, but we are confident Dr. McCoy is, with your support and assistance, up to the task."

"Alright, Gentlemen, Mr. Giotto and his security team will escort you to your quarters. We'll meet you in the Officers Mess for dinner. If you need anything, Mr. Giotto or one of his men will get it for you, including fresh clothing if you'd like to change out of your uniforms."

After the door closed, Jim turned to Spock. "You're off shift now, Spock, so please join us for dinner." Then more softly. "I want you to continue taking notes, and input all your notes into the computer as soon as possible."

"My thought as well, Sir. I will be there."

"Good. See you in the Officer's Mess."

Once back in his quarters, Jim stripped out of his uniform and headed to his sonic shower. He was starting to feel the strain of the day and the sheer weight and scope of their mission. He absolutely had full confidence in Bones, his sincerity, his innate southern charm, the goodness of his heart, and his constant desire always to 'do no harm'. It was the mantra, the Hippocratic Oath, that the doctor lived by. Jim also believed in his own skills, his ability to overcome problems, negotiate for the best outcomes, and win people over to his way of thinking through the use of reason and good sense. With these skills at their command, could the two of them find a way to make sure that little Beverly Howard grow up to save Captain Jean Luc Picard and thus save the entire Federation from annihilation by the Borg? Hearing the hum, feeling the sound waves of the sonic shower pound softly on his back and shoulder muscles, Jim felt his tense muscles relax a little.

Since he was off shift, he decided to dress casually for dinner. He pulled on a soft green sweater and black cords, glanced at the chronometer and decided he still had time to write to his mother and Peter. Jim tried for a twice weekly comm letter to them, knowing that it reassured both Peter and his mother he was fine. Their prompt responses to his letters reassured him of the same thing. He always included non classified mission anecdotes and news about the crew, although Peter often corresponded with Bones, Spock, Uhura and Scotty, and his mother with Bones and Uhura.

He sent his finished missive on to the Communications queue knowing Uhura would send it to the front of the line. Jim had told her several times it was not necessary, that there was nothing urgent in his letters home, but she always responded the same way, with a big smile and a "rank hath it's privileges" comment.

The Officer's Mess was unoccupied when he arrived. He saw that chef had ordered the large table to be set with the second best china, crystal, silver, and linens. The ship's best was saved for visiting ambassadors, potentates, royalty and the occasional visit from the C in C himself. Jim looked at the table with pleasure. He loved to show off his ship's amenities, which were the best credits could buy befitting the flag ship of the Fleet. His department heads, all his officers, were the best too, and kept the ship looking and running perfectly.

One of the Chef's young yeoman was there waiting for him. "Good evening, Thomas. Everything looks splendid! How are you?"

"Thank you, Sir. I'm very well, Captain. Chef said to tell you that she's prepared chicken fried steak, carrot and raisin salad, almond green beans, and whole wheat rolls for dunking," Jim smiled at that, Chef knew him well, it was his favorite meal. "And apple pie a la mode for dessert, with coffee, of course. Mr. Spock will get the same except for the steak, it'll be his usual plomeek soup instead."

"Sounds wonderful, Thomas. Please thank Chef Muriel for me. Dr. McCoy will be equally appreciate of the menu choice. You know how he loves chicken fried steak with gravy." They smiled at each other, the knowledge of Bones' love for Southern cooking a well known secret among the kitchen staff.

"I will, Sir. Appetizers and wine in 5 minutes, Captain?"

"That'll be fine, Thomas. Everyone will be here soon, I'm sure. Did you count Lt Commander Giotto for dinner?"

"Yes, Sir. Mr. Spock sent us the dinner list earlier. Excuse me, Sir, I'll let Chef know everyone is here," Thomas said, as the men came through the Officer's mess door.

Jim saw that, as per his orders, the two DTI agents were still escorted by Lt. Commander Giotto. Before the mess door closed, he also saw two redshirts take their place as sentries outside the door.

"Gentlemen, I see you acquired new clothes." The two agents were now out of uniform and dressed casually in light tan sweaters and dark slacks. Bones too, had changed into a blue sweater and jeans. Spock was still in his Science blues and Giotto was still in his Security red shirt.

Thomas brought in the appetizers along with the wine and wine glasses and placed them on the table. Jim uncorked the wine bottle and poured a glass for everyone except Giotto. Even Spock partook, something he rarely did

"Help yourself to the appetizers," Jim told them. He nodded to Giotto, encouraging him to help himself, otherwise he would have abstained from food too, since he considered himself still on duty.

The small group slowly came to the table to sample the appetizers. At first there was very little conversation, the two agents seemingly not comfortable in a social setting. However, after a few sips of wine, and Jim's use of his considerable powers to charm, they seemed to relax as they ate the food and conversation began to flow more freely.

After half an hour, Thomas came in to remove the appetizers and announced that dinner was ready. "Sit wherever you'd like," Jim told the men. The table was large and round, and the six men were soon seated. Thomas came back in, wheeling a cart with six covered hot plates and he soon had everyone's food in front of them.

Leonard beamed up at Thomas when he saw the delectable looking chicken fried steak, Jim's favorite.

"Thank you, Thomas. This all looks great. I'll ring when we're ready for dessert and coffee." Jim told him.

"Enjoy, Sirs," Thomas said, closing the door behind him. Once the door was closed, the Officer's Mess was secure and sound proof. Jim and his Command staff often discussed classified missions over a meal and it was important that no one would be able to come in or overhear their conversations.

Conversation was innocuously general, Jim telling some amusing mission stories, and Spock telling them about his time, his history, on the _Enterprise_ , about being the first Vulcan to serve in Star Fleet. Bones was unusually quiet, and Jim glancing at him, noticed he was eating very little. There was a deep furrow on his brow and the lines around his mouth were more pronounced. Leonard looked up, caught Jim's worried look and gave him a small reassuring smile.

Jim's tense shoulders relaxed as he turned to Agent Dulmar. "Agent Dulmar, would it be against the rules for you to tell us something about your Department of Temporal investigations? I know it's not really a reality just yet, but it won't be too long before it is, and nothing that is said here will be repeated. The room is secure and sound proof and I trust my officers who are here implicitly. We have often discussed highly classified missions in this room." He looked expectantly at the two agents.

Agent Dulmar glanced at Lucksly then nodded his agreement. "I see no harm in participating in a general discussion of the history, duties and responsibilities of our department, Captain. It is true that very soon, in fact in a few months, the Federation Council will send out a prospectus to all Federation Council members describing the need for our new agency. The prospectus will also describe the type of facility, the technology, and the personnel needs for the new Department. The Council will also address the financial responsibilities that each Federation world will assume to fund the DTI. After all that has been approved, and it will be after much heated discussion, the Federation Council will address the duties and responsibilities of the agents, as well as the physical, mental and psychological requirements needed to apply for a position with the Agency. All this planning will take approximately two years to fully implement before our department becomes active."

"And what about the transporter technology you currently use to arrive at this time destination?" Spock asked. "Mr. Scott and I agree that our current transporter technology is no where close to the technology you used."

"Ah," Agent Lucsly responded. "I'm afraid that particular subject is off the table, Mr. Spock. We cannot divulge anything about the transporter equations, the technology we use, or where it came from as we traverse across the time stream. As a matter of fact, Mr. Spock, that knowledge will never become available outside of our agency. It would be exceedingly dangerous."

"I just wanna' know one thing," Leonard spoke up suddenly, testily. "Is your blasted sophisticated time travelin' transporter safe? 'Cause I sure don't like my atoms all scrambled up, then put back together by our own transporters, much less scrambled up, sent through some weird time machine, then put back together again." He glared fiercely at Agent Lucsly.

Agent Lucsly's eyes widened comically at the fierceness of Leonard's comment.

"Bones really dislikes transporters," Jim murmured mildly, hiding his amusement.

"Our technology is perfectly safe, Dr. McCoy, of that, I can assure you."

"Better be," Leonard muttered into his dumplings.

"Go on, Agent Dulmar," Jim urged, hiding his smile behind his wine glass.

"Indeed," added Spock. "This is most interesting."

"Well, then, to continue. Legally, we will operate under the auspices of the Federation Science Council. It is/will be our official governing body. However, for all intents and purposes, we are autonomous, ordered to conduct all our missions by our Director, or by his four Assistant Directors. They're the ones who report directly to both the Federation and Science Councils after every time incursion event where we have intervened. They issue monthly reports to the Federation and Science Councils to keep them abreast of all time incursions. Our main headquarters is/or will be," he smiled slightly, "in Greenwich, England, with a branch office planned for San Francisco, which will become the Terran headquarters, and which is/will be responsible for all investigations involving Starfleet, including this one. Other branch offices will be on Aldebaran and Vulcan," he nodded at Spock's raised eyebrow, "and eventually in other worlds across the sector. Each office will be headed by one of our Assistant Directors, but all employment applications to serve in DTI will go through the Director personally."

Agent Lucsly took up the narrative. "The majority of our DTI staff will be made up from species known for their emotional stability and self discipline, such as Vulcans, Deltans, Rhaabdarites, Zakdorns, and Benzites."

"Not humans?" asked Jim curiously.

Lucksly shook his head. "Humans will be a distinct minority in DTI. For the most part, human recruits are/were too emotional to pass the rigorous testing criteria," he answered the Captain. "Agent Dulmar and I are two of the few humans who were able to do so."

"I see," murmured the bemused Jim, glancing at Spock's too bland face. He just knew that Spock was quite pleased to have his opinion of humans verified, that indeed they were far too emotional.

Lucsly continued. "As we mentioned, gentlemen, after your time incursion into Earth's past in the 1930's, the Director decided to place agents on the planet where The Guardian Of Forever is located to prevent its further use except for an extreme emergency. Sometime in the future, DTI will set up and maintain a facility on Vandor IV where we will house and secure confiscated time travel devices. We cannot allow these time devices to exist in an unrestricted way. It's very dangerous allowing beings to time travel willy nilly across the galaxy. Eventually, our personnel in the San Francisco and Vulcan branches, will increase to fifteen active agents, five researchers, several historians, and also counselors and physicians for the after care required for all agents after three time of travel excursions." He looked at Spock. "This number includes Vulcan healers, who must assist the Vulcan agents mentally as well as physically."

Agent Dulmar interjected. "Time travel sickness, as it's called colloquially, is cumulative. There are medications which we use to alleviate the physical toll that happens to a body when it is outside it's proper time phase, but there is also a psychic cost to time travel. None of the brain development of any species that are or will be employed by DTI, are equipped to travel constantly back and forth through time. It causes psychological trauma if undertaken continually without intervention by our counselors and physicians. That is why after a third time travel mission, we rotate out for a period of time to undergo counseling."

Here Leonard looked meaningfully at Jim. It was that very thing that the two of them had discussed earlier.

"In your case, Dr. McCoy, Captain, there is no need for concern. There will be no such trauma. We will, of course, all four of us, use our routine medication to alleviate disorientation, nausea, and headaches, both before and after your mission. But in your case, this one time travel mission, and the short duration of your stay in the future, will not cause either of you any psychic trauma. As for us, this is our third mission, so after the completion of this one, we will rotate out for our required counseling."

"Well, that's a rare comfort," Leonard groused.

Jim glanced at the empty plates. The meal had been delicious, and it seemed everyone had enjoyed it, including Spock. Giotto had been mostly silent during the meal, never lessening his vigilance, but nevertheless eating steadily, cleaning his plate.

"Gentlemen, I believe it's time for coffee and dessert. Bones, it's one of your favorite's, apple pie a la mode," Jim told him, ringing for Thomas and unlocking the door.

Leonard grinned at Thomas as he came in. "Thomas, ma boy, give Chef Muriel my compliments. She outdid herself with this meal. It was delicious. we all enjoyed it, 'specially the Captain here."

"I certainly will, Dr. McCoy," Thomas responded as he cleared the table and placed dessert plates and coffee on the table. "She'll be pleased to hear you all enjoyed it."

Jim smiled at the young yeoman as he went around the table. "Thank you, Thomas, and I'll add my compliments for Chef Muriel to Dr. McCoy's."

Yeoman Thomas was a general favorite among all his officers and Jim knew Chef Muriel had a protective motherly interest in him. At the department meetings, she had told them about her satisfaction with his work ethic and his highly professional general conduct.

Thomas was the youngest member of Jim's crew. He'd enlisted in Starfleet at 18, and, to his delight, had been assigned to serve on the _Enterprise_. He was professional, genial, helpful, and always pleasant to the entire crew. Spock, who checked all personnel records, had told Jim that his intelligence scores were quite high, but that he came from a large family, and there had been little opportunity for any further education for Thomas, so he'd opted to enlist in Starfleet.

Jim and his senior officers, always on the look out for talent among the younger crew, kept a close eye on young Thomas, and during his next quarterly evaluation, Jim was going to encourage him to apply for Officer's training. Bones concurred with Jim's assessment. Thomas, Bones had shared with Jim and the Command crew, was very mature for his age. Being the oldest of seven children had given him quite a bit of responsibility at a very young age and he'd be an excellent candidate for Officer's training.

Thomas grinned widely at his Captain, his young face dimpling. "I'll certainly tell her, Captain," he said going out the door.

"A nice young man, that," Agent Dulmar said dipping his spoon into the ice cream.

"Yes he is. We have high hopes for him here on the _Enterprise_ ," Jim responded, as he locked the door again. "Is there anything else you can share with us about your department, Agent Dulmar?"

"I believe we have shared all we should about DTI. I don't think there's anything else we can safely disclose at this time. What we told you will become general Starfleet knowledge fairly soon. All of you here, have just received the information a little early."

"We have found it edifying to hear everything you've been able to tell us about your agency, Agents," Spock told the two men.

"S'not so edifying to me. Time travel talk gives me a headache," muttered Leonard.

Jim, glancing at him, thought it was time to stop all talk about time travel. There was no need to stress Bones any further than he obviously already was. He caught Giotto's eye. "I think it's time to call it an evening, Gentlemen. Bones and I have a lot of work to get through tomorrow, so if you'll excuse us, we're going to have an early night. Lt. Commander Giotto will escort you to your quarters, Agents. You'll find standard Starfleet pajamas already there for you."

He rose and unlocked the door. "Good night, Agent Dulmar, Agent Lucsly. We'll see you for breakfast in the morning at 07:30."

"Good night, Captain Kirk, thank you for a most enjoyable dinner."

After the two agents were gone, Jim turned to Spock and Bones. "A night cap in my quarters?"

"Sounds good to me, Jim."

"It is agreeable to me as well, Captain."

"Then lets go."


	5. Chapter 5

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 5**

" **Time is a slippery thing: lose hold of it once,**

 **and its string might sail out of your hands forever."**

 **Anthony Doerr**

 **"All the Light We Cannot See"**

Jim came out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist, and picked up his padd laying on the counter top. He had opted for a real water shower this morning. He didn't often use it, instead using the sonic shower, although Captain's privilege let him use an actual water shower once a week...if he wanted to. However, it went against his principles to indulge in something when his crew wasn't afforded the same privilege. A water shower for a crew member was available only when prescribed by one of the Medical staff.

He shook his head back and forth and water droplets went flying before he briskly towel dried his hair. It was already starting to curl and he ruthlessly slathered on his usual hair products to keep it straight. He and Bones had been up very late last night, memorizing and quizzing each other on all the information found in both dossiers, young Beverly Howard's, and her grandmother, Felicia's. The DTI agents had not exaggerated about the amount of information given them. By midnight, both he and Bones agreed that it was at times like these they envied Spock's eidetic memory. He could have reviewed the dossiers once and they would have been committed to memory.

At 0100 they had called it a night, Bones saying his brain was fried and Jim agreeing with him. Jim felt confident that they had memorized every slightest detail on the dossiers. Later, if necessary, they would be able to review the information which would sit encrypted in their new padds. Those they would receive today. The new padds would reflect the technology and capacity of the 24th century. Agent Dulmar, however, had made it quite clear they would have to surrender the padds when they returned from their mission. It would not do to have 24th century technology visible and on hand in the 23rd century.

This morning, he and Bones were scheduled for their sessions with Geoffrey for their disguises. The two agents would also be present to ensure that their new looks passed muster.

But right now, Jim thought, putting on his clothes, it was time for breakfast. Bones would be waiting for him in the mess and after breakfast they'd report to Geoff.

Bones was indeed waiting for him at their usual table. Jim went down the mess line and picked out his breakfast. Scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, sliced tomatoes, fruit, a biscuit with butter, a large mug of coffee, sugar and cream. He always tried to eat a hearty breakfast. Down through the years as a Fleet officer, he'd learned the hard way that his next meal depended on external factors completely out of his control and it might be a long time before he could eat again.

It was nice to have a fresh cooked breakfast. All fresh food supplies had been replenished at their last Star Base stop, so replicator 'food' was off the table for a good long while, although Chef Muriel and her large kitchen staff did their best when fresh food supplies started to dwindle during a very long mission. It was at those times that one meal or two had to be replicator nutrient nubs which they all hated, including Chef Muriel who called them an affront to real food, but nevertheless, the crew ate them when they had to. He caught a glimpse of Chef Muriel as he went down the line and stopped dutifully when she beckoned to him.

"Captain, good morning," she said eying his breakfast choices with approval. Her soft southern drawl was musical and warmly affectionate. Chef Muriel was from Mississippi, not Georgia, but her syllibants were just as soft as Bones'. Muriel considered the young Captain a special responsibility of hers, and mothered him accordingly. Leonard heartily approved.

"Good morning, Chef. What can I do for you?" Jim tried his best to accommodate Muriel as much as possible, because a happy chef made for a happy crew, and there were many very hungry, very young crew members on Jim's ship. As Napoleon said hundreds of years ago, and it was true to this day, "an army marches on its stomach" or in this case, a Starship flies on its stomach.

She smiled widely at him. "I have a small surprise for Dr. McCoy, Captain," she told him softly, glancing at the doctor waiting for Jim. She handed him a covered bowl. "It's grits, Sir. Made just the way he likes them, with salt and plenty of butter, just like his mama and my mama taught us to cook them. I was able to acquire some at our last stop. Saved it for a surprise for the good doctor. Have some more put back for a couple of more servings for him."

Jim grinned widely, his hazel eyes twinkling, as he took the bowl. "Thank you, Muriel. The doctor will be very pleased." Chef and Bones thought the world of each other, first because they shared a love for good southern cooking, and second, because Bones had put in a good word for Muriel's son for his pre-med admission to his Alma mater, 'Ole Miss, and for a scholarship. The boy had excellent grades and Muriel, a widow, needed the financial assistance for her son. Starfleet salaries were adequate, but not generous, especially for non commissioned personnel, and med school was expensive.

Jim carried his tray, heavier now with the added weight of the covered bowl filled to the brim with grits. "Morning, Bones."

Leonard looked up, his face lighting. "Morning, Jimmy. That's a lot of food you got there, boy. Expectin' a famine?"

Jim placed the covered bowl by his plate. "This my dear doctor, is just for you, complements of Chef Muriel."

"For me?" Leonard uncovered the bowl, and grinned happily down at the soft, creamy, yellow grits drowning in butter. "Well now, that's mighty nice of Muriel. That woman is a treasure, that's for sure. I'll thank her on my way out."

"She spoils you, Bones McCoy. Even I, the _Captain_ of this boat, don't get treated like you do."

"Well now, don't be jealous, Jimmy. Some us are just blessed with an extra dose of good 'ole southern charm and we know how to treat a lady, especially a lady who cooks like Miss Muriel does."

Jim snorted and bent to his breakfast. It was hot, it was good and he was hungry. Bones too attacked his grits with pleasure.

After breakfast, a second cup of coffee, and a small detour to the large kitchen that was Chef Muriel's kingdom to thank her, they made their way to Sick Bay for their disguise session with Geoff and Christine, who would be helping him.

Geoff, Christine, Spock, the two agents and their faithful shadow, Giotto, were already there waiting for them. Giotto had also brought along two sentries to place at the door of the private room.

"Morning, everyone." Jim greeted them. "Bones and I are ready to be transformed."

"We'll be working in this small private room, Sir," Geoffrey told him. "Also, Sir, the two agents and Mr. Spock suggested that since this is a classified mission, after we complete your disguises, we clear the halls for you to retire to your quarters and that you both stay there through lunch and dinner too. It will prevent a lot of curious looks, gossip, and questions. That is if you're agreeable, Captain.

"I'll agree to it, but only if Bones and I stay together in my quarters. We'd both die of boredom with nothing to do for the rest of today until tomorrow morning. I'll take the sofa tonight, Bones, if you're okay with staying with me."

"Works for me, Jim. Never have been very good at doin' nothin'. We can chew the fat and play cards or somethin'. But I'll take the sofa, I'm skinnier than you are and I'll fit better." He gave Jim a sly look.

Jim mock glared at him. "I've lost two pounds, Bones, thanks to all those vegetables you've got on my meal card."

"Two more pounds to go," Leonard responded, his lips twitching.

Geoffrey continued, oblivious of their teasing. "Also, Captain, Doctor, we think it would be best to start referring to yourselves as Dr. Rafael Jonathon McCoy Davis and James Samuel McCoy Davis," he added, frowning unhappily. Truth be told, he was not pleased about his boss going on this type of mission, even accompanied by the Captain. True, he was not privy to every aspect of the mission parameters (Mr. Spock had told Geoffrey and Christine that the mission details were on a 'need to know' basis), but anytime disguises were called for, the crew knew it was going to be a dangerous mission.

Agent Dulmar cleared his throat. "Gentlemen. From your quarters we will all transport directly to Caldos II, to a pre-selected remote, secure spot. A rental hover with two suitcases filled with appropriate clothing and toiletries will be in it. It will be waiting there for you with a preprogrammed location to your hotel. Dr. M'Benga will prepare a small kit with your disguise necessities to carry with you. Reservations have been made in your name, Dr. McCoy. The hotel is well run, clean, with adequate amenities, but not luxurious. It's called the Hotel California." He grimaced. "The owner is a fan of 20th century Terran music," he explained. "We will have an adjoining room to yours so we can debrief every evening and also stay available to you should you need anything, or have questions.

Agency Lucsly took up the narrative. "It is from this point on that the mission really begins. Tomorrow morning, after you settle into your room at the hotel, we want you to learn your way around the small town. At the end of Felicia's work day, you will both present yourselves in her office to introduce yourselves and show her your identifications. You will explain about all your genealogical research, and share with her that you hope to learn more about Dr. Leonard McCoy by coming to Caldos II."

"Just a minute, Agents," Jim interrupted firmly. "My Command crew, Bones and I have had many first contact experiences. We know what to do, and we're not going to push ourselves on Felicia Howard. We're going to play it by ear, depending on how Beverly's grandmother reacts to us. Pushing too soon for an acquaintanceship will only turn her off. Don't you agree, Bones?"

"Yeah, I do. I figured we'd go slow, maybe invite them to dinner at a nice restaurant the next evening. It would be easier to get to know them that way," Leonard said. "Also, she's a busy woman, we don't want to make her mad by intruding on her workday. Doctors are mighty busy people."

Agent Dulmar looked thoughtful. "Yes, that might work better. It is a fact that on these types of missions, sitting down to a meal together goes a long way to expedite the getting to know you process. At dinner, Doctor, you could share your book idea, your research of the female line of the Dr. Leonard McCoy descendants and how they all became physicians and were very successful. You can show them your research which we have already prepared for you. Later on, after you secure Felicia's trust and confidence, you can ask her for permission to look at Beverly's documents. Remember that Felicia is Beverly's grandmother on her father's side, so she is not an actual descendant of Dr. Leonard McCoy, but she will still have many anecdotes to tell and she is the keeper of all the documents left to Beverly in trust for the child by her mother. What we are striving for here, is for Beverly Howard to be interested and impressed by the line of women physicians in her McCoy family linage."

Agent Dulmar looked at Leonard's dubious face. "Please don't worry, Dr. McCoy, I can assure you that all will go smoothly. From our observations of Felicia in her timeline, she is a warm, genial, nurturing, outgoing woman."

"From your mouth to God's ears," muttered the doctor under his breath.

"Pardon?"

"Nothin' Agent Dulmar, nothin' at all."

"Alright, now that that's been settled, shall we get started, Geoff?" Asked the impatient Jim.

"Of course, Captain."

Christine came forward and pulled up two chairs. "Dr. M'Benga will start with you, Captain. There is less work to be done for your disguise."

Dulmar came to stand close to Jim. "We will observe your work, Dr. M'Benga, and if there appears to be any issue with the disguise, we will interrupt your process. Remember that disguises are best when done with a light hand, when there are minimal changes that cannot be detected."

"I know, Agent Dulmar!" The usually serene M'Benga sounded testy, and Leonard smiled to himself. Geoffrey was the most easy going person on the ship. Nothing disturbed his serenity until you got on his last nerve, or someone did something that might harm a patient. Then he could let loose with the best of them. It was obvious the two agents were getting on his nerves, and to be honest, they were getting on Leonard's nerves too. Dulmar and Lucsly, were in turn, wooden, bossy, condescending, and placating, and it didn't sit well with him, or apparently with Geoff either.

His attention came back to Geoffrey who was tilting Jim's head back. Christine handed him a hypo and Jim frowned. He hated hypos.

"This won't hurt a bit, Sir. We'll began with several injections of melanin to darken your skin. For this I'll use a synthetic form of melanocytes which are found in the basal layer of your epidermis. I'll increase the dose in small increments until your skin tone looks like a good southern Georgian tan. I'm sorry, Captain, but it will take a couple of injections."

Jim looked resigned. Geoffrey looked at Leonard who nodded his approval. Jim's very fair skin tended to sunburn easily, and Leonard always, to Jim's intense annoyance, insisted on a sun screen injection prior to away missions on hot sunny planets. "I'll send an additional hypo with Leonard so he can give you another dose in about a week. It will keep your tan at the same intensity." They watched in fascination as Jim's normally light ruddy skin began to darken slightly. Geoff looked at the color keenly then tilted Jim's head to the opposite side to inject the second dose. "We'll wait for a little while to see if you need the third dose. I don't want to get it too dark, or it'll look fake and there'll be a too obvious line of demarcation as your hair grows out."

Next Christine brought out the hair dye. It was a spray, a fine mist that renewed itself for six to eight weeks. It was a medium brown color and would look perfectly natural with Jim's new tan. His hair was naturally curly and it was only by using straightening hair products that he was able to flatten his curls. Jim detested his curly hair, thinking that the curls made him look even younger. He was already teased by the other ships' Captains for being the baby Captain of the Fleet, and he didn't want to add to his youthful look and garner even more teasing. Since he'd been a green Ensign he had been ruthlessly slicking down his curls. Because of that, just shampooing his hair would get rid of his hair products and result in curls that looked natural.

"Now for your eyes, Captain." Geoffrey brought out two small vials. "These are semi permanent lenses in gray. Once I put them in, they'll stay in until I remove them. I'll give you some moisturizing drops in case your eyes feel dry while you wear them." He raised Jim's chin, popped the vials, then carefully inserted them. "Blink rapidly please, Captain, so I can check them." Jim did and Geoff nodded, satisfied. "You're finished for now, Captain. It's your turn, Len."

Leonard sat, grumbling under his breath. Geoffrey gave him a long critical look assessing exactly what he had to do. "Hmm, the agents want you to look old enough to be the Captain's uncle, so that means we'll have to make you look a lot older than you are. First, I'll gray your hair, then add a grayish/white mustache and full beard. I'll use the same type of lenses as the Captain's to darken your eyes to brown. Your skin color doesn't need enhancement, so we'll leave it alone."

Geoffrey began with the gray color mist, stopping periodically to check the color of Leonard's hair. "There I think that's enough, don't want to overdo it and make it look fake," he said looking at the back of Leonard's head.

Christine brought the prepared false mustache and beard forward and handed them to Geoffrey. "The glue I'm using is waterproof and pretty much full proof. Don't try to remove either the mustache or the beard yourself, or your skin will come off with it."

"Ouch!" Jim said involuntarily.

Geoffrey smiled, continuing his work of carefully adhering the beard and mustache making sure the glue had worked. "There, Len. I think your disguise is complete. I've put beard suppressant on your chin, cheek, and upper lip so you won't have to worry about new growth under the mustache and beard."

The two agents looked critically at both men. Dulmar tilted his head and slowly nodded his approval. "You've done fine work, Dr. M'Benga. The Captain and the Doctor look perfectly normal, no one on Caldos II will recognize them."

"I, for one, would like a mirror to see this travesty of myself," grumbled Leonard. He looked at Jim. "You don't look so bad, Jim, but I'm sure I look like my own granddaddy."

Jim grinned at him. "I've only seen family holos of your grandfather, Bones, but the resemblance is uncanny."

Christine brought out a mirror and Leonard looked at himself. "Suppose it'll do," he said. "But I sure don't look like myself. Take a look at yourself, Jim."

Jim took the mirror, moving his head up and down, right and left, looking carefully at himself. To his eyes, he looked totally unlike himself, so he guessed that was a good thing. He handed back the mirror to Christine. "You did a great job, Geoff. I don't think there's any chance that anyone on Caldos II will recognize us."

"One more thing, Captain," Agent Dulmar told him.

"What now?" Asked Leonard irritably.

"Yes, Agent Dulmar?"

"You will have to change your speech pattern, Captain. Your voice and accent are quite distinctive. It's a midwest accent, definitely not Georgian where supposedly you live. Perhaps the rest of today and this evening you can practice with Dr. McCoy to mimic his soft Georgian lilt. It need not be a pronounced southern drawl, but you definitely need to soften your clipped voice pattern."

"We'll work on it, Jim," Leonard assured him. "You've been with me in Georgia often enough so your ear is already attuned to the softer, slower cadence of Georgian speech."

Jim agreed. "Ma has always said that I'm a good mimic. Guess we'll find out."

"I'm finished with both you," Geoffrey told them, "unless the agents want me to add anything more."

"I think not, Doctor," Lucsly said. "Now I suggest that Dr. McCoy and the Captain retire to your quarters, Captain, to avoid being seen."

"I will give the order to clear deck 5 and deck 12, as well as the primary lift, Captain. It will take just a few minutes," Spock told him. "Lt. Commander Giotto, please escort our guests back to their quarters for the remainder of the day."

"Aye, Sir."

"We will meet you in your cabin after breakfast at 0700, Captain. We will all transport to Caldos II and to the new time stream at that hour. Agent Lucsly will administer the medication we use prior to any time travel to the four of us." He held up his hand as Leonard opened his mouth. "You are welcome to scan it, Dr. McCoy, but I assure you there is nothing in it that will harm you or us. On the contrary, it will alleviate any discomfort you might feel from being transported to a different time stream."

"Fine, but you can bet your britches, I'm gonna' scan it down to the smallest molecule."

"I would expect no less, Doctor."

Agent Lucsly handed them their new padds. "I'm sure these will prove entertaining while you're in your quarters. Gentlemen, until tomorrow morning."

Giotto stepped forward and ushered the two agents out of the door. There was silence after they left, then Bones huffed loudly, looking down curiously at the small padd in his hand. "Spock is it safe for us to head to Jim's cabin?"

Spock looked at his comm. "The two decks have been cleared, Doctor."

"Let's go while the gettin's good, Jim. Geoff, Christine, thanks for a job well done. Take care of my Sick Bay, Geoff, and we'll see you when we see you. Don't miss me too much," Leonard grinned at them.

"Good luck, Len, Captain."

"Thanks, Geoffrey, Nurse Chapel." The two men, accompanied by Spock left Sick Bay and headed to the lift.

"That was most illogical of you, Doctor. Since the two agents informed us you would be returned to the exact time and place as when you left, Dr. M'Benga and Nurse Chapel, will not have the opportunity to 'miss you' since our time stream will then be returned to normal."

"I know that, you green logic board, I just didn't want them to worry about us."

"That's enough, you two," Jim said, as Spock opened his mouth. They stepped out of the lift to the empty deck 12. "Let's order lunch, Bones. Spock will you join us?"

"Lift hold," Spock ordered. "Thank you, Captain, but I best return to the bridge to curtail any uneasiness that may develop from your absence." His shoulders stiff, he inclined his head, and got back in the lift.

Jim watched him go and Bones frowned. "Hobgoblin's not happy you're goin' with me on this here mission, Jimbo."

"I know he isn't, Bones, but," Jim grinned, eyes mischievous, "when we get back, it'll be as if we've never left, so no Vulcan snit."

Leonard laughed loudly at that. "Good point that."

Jim ordered the lights on in his quarters as the door closed behind them. "Let's order lunch, Bones," Jim said. "It's been a long time since breakfast and I'm hungry. After lunch, we'll look at our new padds."


	6. Chapter 6

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 6**

 **"And, in a way, we're all time travelers. Somehow, the entire temporal stream exists,**

 **but we're only conscious of a single moment."**

 **Jack McDevitt**

Jim woke at his usual 0600 hours and stared up at the ceiling. He always spent a few minutes after waking reviewing his tasks for the day. He could hear Bones' soft snores from the living area sofa. He smiled to himself. Bones always denied that he was a snorer and looked insulted when he was accused of it, in spite of hearing it from Jim, Spock, and all his staff when he had to spend the night in Sick Bay.

It was time for his shower and then breakfast. Last evening he'd left orders for breakfast to be delivered to the agents' guest quarters and here to his own. One of Giotto's security detail would bring breakfast at 06:30.

He walked in to the living area, putting a gentle hand on Bones' shoulder to wake him. "Time to wake up, sleepy head. Today is the big day. I'm heading for the shower. Why don't you round up some coffee for us while I'm showering and then it'll be your turn. Our new clothes are in that box on the floor over there.

"Yeah, I'm awake, Jimbo," Leonard yawned. "You go on, I'll get us organized with coffee and set out our new clothes."

Jim came out of the bathroom in his briefs and black t-shirt. Leonard handed him his coffee, pointing to the clothes on his bed. "I'll be out in a minute, Jim." With his own change of clothes in his arms, he headed for the bathroom.

Jim began to dress and as he put on his pants and shirt, he noted that 24th century clothing was not much different than their own casual attire in the 23rd century. A little more sleek, the materials softer and with no visible seams on pants or shirt. The pants were a charcoal grey, the shirt a soft pale cream flannel like material. There was also a jacket, so the temperature on Caldos II must be chilly.

His door chime rang. Breakfast had arrived. He opened it to find Giotto carrying a tray with two covered plates. "Frank! I didn't expect you to hand deliver our breakfast. Come in."

"It's no problem, Captain. Thought I'd kill two birds with one stone by bringing your breakfast and giving you my report. One of my men is delivering breakfast to the two agents."

"Good. Bones is in the shower, he'll be out in a minute. Have some coffee, Frank, you've been up all night. After we leave I want you and your detail to go off duty and sleep, and that's an order, Commander."

"Thank you, Sir, we will." Giotto said taking the coffee and taking a sip. His eyes closed in bliss as the hot caffeine laden drink entered his blood stream. "Everything was quiet yesterday and last night, Captain. We hand delivered lunch and dinner to our two guests. I checked on them this morning at 0600 and they were already up and dressed. My detail will escort them here at 0700."

The bathroom door opened and Bones came out, dressed in his new clothes and almost unrecognizable with his gray hair, beard and mustache. "Morning, Frank. I see you brought us breakfast. Hope you're joinin' us."

"No problem, Doctor, and I'm afraid I can't. I'm still on duty so I'll be leaving now. Enjoy your breakfasts, thanks for the coffee, Captain. I'll be back with our guest at 0700."

They uncovered their plates to see what Muriel had sent. Leonard gave a hum of delight to see a small bowl with more grits, along with scrambled eggs, hash browns, biscuits slathered with butter and jam, and fresh slices of cantaloupe.

Jim sighed happily. Breakfast was his favorite meal, and really Muriel had outdone herself. They ate quickly, and left the empty plates on the table for his yeoman to return to the mess. Jim looked for and found his black boots and put them on, making sure his boot knife was in them. He looked a question at Bones who nodded. He had his boot knife too. Jim had trained his Command officers to always have their boot knives on away missions. Those knives had come in handy many times. They went into the living area to wait for the two agents to arrive.

Yesterday Jim and Leonard had played cards, reviewed the dossiers' information, watched a holo and read. Leonard read his medical journals, and Jim, his treasured real paper book series, "Master and Commander," that his mother had gifted him at Christmas. After dinner the two men had indulged in one after dinner drink, nursing it through the evening. Spock had stopped by to receive last minute instructions from Jim. Time would continue to pass for those on the ship until Jim and Leonard returned to the exact time they'd left, so assignments and tasks had to be completed even if they had to be done over again once the two men returned.

Promptly at 0700 Jim's door chime rang again and there were the two agents accompanied by Giotto and the security detail. Giotto dismissed the Security detail and ushered Dulmar and Lucsly in to the living area. The two men were dressed similarly to Jim and Leonard. Dulmar saw Jim eyeing their clothes. "We have disposed of our uniforms, Captain. We don't want to attract undue attention on Caldos II by wearing them and we can't leave them here, they are not yet part of your timeline. We do this for most of our assignments."

Giotto handed the agents their badges, said goodbye to his charges and Jim dismissed him.

"Good morning, Dr. McCoy," Lucsly said. "We have brought the medication that we take prior to transporting. I know you wish to scan and examine it closely."

"I certainly do," Leonard told the agents. "No offense, fellas, but you gotta understand, that it's not so much about me, but it's my primary duty to keep our Captain here safe and sound. Ain't takin' no chances with his health and well being. No sir. This man is one of a kind, and no one is gonna' compromise his health, or give him anythin' that might hurt him. Not on my watch. I won't allow it."

"Bones...," Jim protested, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat. Bones never ceased in his vigilant care of him.

"We fully understand, Doctor." Dulmar handed Leonard a vial filled with small yellow pills. "There are enough pills here for our return trip as well."

Leonard got a small bowl from Jim's kitchen area and dumped all the pills on it. He got his medical kit, pulled out some gloves, his tricorder and medical scanner. He picked up one of the pills with a gloved hand and visually examined it. First, he ran the tricorder over it, and then the scanner. He saved the readings on both instruments, then checked each of the other pills, first by hand, then with the scanner and tricorder. When he finished, he dumped all the pills back into the vial, but kept the vial in his hand while he read the results on both instruments.

" 'pears they're okay, Jim. Nothing other than whatever that medication is. Tell you what, why don't I dispense the pills. That way we each get a random one out of the vial."

For the first time since the agent's appearance in the transporter room, Jim saw a faint twinkle in Dulmar's eyes. Apparently, Bones' paranoia was amusing to him.

"That will be satisfactory, Dr. McCoy."

Leonard nodded, finally satisfied. He emptied four pills into his gloved hand and handed them out. "Now what?" He asked Dulmar.

"Now we swallow them," he responded and did just that. Lucksly followed suit, and so did Jim. Leonard was the last. He closed the vial and returned it to Dulmar.

"Why don't you keep them, Dr. McCoy. That way you'll be certain no one has tampered with them."

"Good idea. I'll put them in my medical kit."

"Doctor, do you plan to take your kit with you?"

"'Course I am. I never go on any away mission without it!" Leonard clutched the kit to his chest. He eyed the two agents belligerently. "In fact I never go anywhere without it. It's goin' with me."

Dulmar sighed and looked at Lucsly who nodded. "Very well, Doctor. After all, you are disguised as a retired doctor, and if anyone asks about it, just say it's an antique medical kit given to you by your family on the occasion of your retirement."

"I'll do that," Leonard responded, still clutching his kit tightly.

Lucsly stepped toward them. "Captain, Doctor, here are your transporters. They have been pre set. Please do not touch them after I put them on you until we're ready to go. I will transport first, then the two of you, then Agent Dulmar. The process is practically instantaneous, you won't feel anything. The pill you took should take care of any disorientation or dizziness after you transport. You will arrive immediately after me in the location where the rental hover is parked. From there we will proceed to the hotel. Do you have any questions?"

Jim and Leonard both shook their heads and the agent pinned the badges to their jackets. "When Agent Dulmar tells you, just press the badge lightly and you will transport."

"I sure don't like this, Jim," Leonard muttered nervously under his breath.

"You'll be all right, Bones. I'll be there right beside you when we arrive." Jim's eyes gleamed with excitement. He was ready, more than ready for this adventure.

Agent Lucsly pressed his badge and he was gone.

Agent Dulmar waited a few seconds. "It's time, go, Gentlemen."

The two men pressed on their badges and then they were standing next to Agent Lucsly. He reached for them and moved them out of the way. In a few seconds Agent Dulmar appeared.

Jim looked around. They were in an empty field, with tall grass under their booted feet, and nothing else for miles around. There were no homes or buildings anywhere in sight. Jim had felt and heard nothing as he'd transported. He looked over at Leonard who was looking a bit bewildered. "Bones are you all right? How you feel?"

"Fine, Jim. I feel just fine. Amazin'! Easiest transportin' I've ever experienced." He grinned happily at Jim. "I'm doing great, Jimmy."

"The agency prides itself on the ease of our time transitions, Doctor. Our physicists and engineers are constantly working to refine and mitigate the effects of time travel," Agent Dulmar told him a bit smugly.

"Well they've done a mighty fine job of it," Leonard said, patting himself absently. His body parts all seemed to be in their right place. "Not at all like our transporters where you feel all tingly and hear bells and such, right Jim?"

"Right, Bones," he said, stepping closer to him. He was pleased that Bones seemed totally fine, mentally and physically. It was always an ordeal for him when he had to use a transporter.

"Shall we go to the hotel, Gentlemen? Your luggage is already in the hover waiting for you, and it's a 5 minute flight to the Hotel California. Your room and ours are reserved for two weeks. It is our hope that the mission can be completed successfully before that time. According to our research, that is the time frame when Beverly's change of heart happened. You must intervene sometime within that two week window."

"No pressure," Leonard mumbled to Jim as they walked to the hover.

Dulmar landed in the large parking area adjacent to the hotel. The hotel stood before them in the bright morning light. It was built of what looked like red brick and had a cupola on top of the roof. There were mullioned windows which gave the hotel the appearance of great age. It was a three storied building, and small for a hotel. The grounds were large and well manicured, the grass green, freshly mowed, and there were flowers on either side of the long walkway. Everything looked fresh, lush and colorful.

Jim looked a question at Dulmar.

"As I mentioned, the owner is very interested in Earth's past, music, art, architecture, flora and fauna. His hotel reflects that. I think you will enjoy your stay here. Shall we go in?"

They picked up their suitcases and walked up the steps through the large double doors into the hotel. The foyer was large with logs blazing in the large fireplace. The floor had a mellow oak look to it and there was a broad stairway beyond it. Coming out of the morning chill, Jim thought the foyer had a welcome warmth to it. There was light coming in from the many narrow windows set high up on the walls and the light from the windows met the light from the fire casting dancing shadows against the paneled walls. The large staircase divided to sweep up to the right and left of the first floor. It was carpeted by what looked like a genuine Aubusson carpet. Jim hadn't seen one of those since the last time he'd been at his great aunt's home back in Iowa.

Then suddenly there was more light in the foyer—bright, warm, and glowing light came from high up. Someone had turned on all the crystal sconces which soared above the wooden paneling.

"It's a beautiful place," Jim said, looking around in delight. "Whoever designed it did a fantastic job."

"I did," came a deep baritone voice from behind them. "I'm Cary Fane, owner and proprietor of the Hotel California. I'm delighted to welcome you to my hotel. Let me see now, you, Sir," he looked at Leonard, "must be Dr. Rafael Jonathon McCoy Davis, retired; and your traveling companion, Mr. James Samuel McCoy Davis.

"My nephew, Mr. Fane," Leonard corrected him, deepening his southern drawl. He looked with interest at Fane. The hotel owner was definitely human, tall, very fair, and more than middle aged with lines etched on his forehead and around his mouth, and with a smattering of gray in his hair. Only his eyes looked young. They shone with childlike interest as he surveyed his guests.

Fane inclined his head in acknowledgement. "And you, Gentlemen must be Mr. Marion Dulmar and Mr. Garriff Lucsly. I have your two suites ready for you." He pressed a button on his wrist and two robots rolled in, picking up the luggage and rolling up to the staircase.

"Your hotel is very beautiful, Mr. Fane," Jim smiled his beautiful sunshine smile at him. "My uncle and I have traveled to many places, other worlds, but mostly on Earth where we're from, the beautiful state of Georgia. None of the many hotels we've stayed at have been as warm, welcoming and beautiful as yours."

As alway, Leonard thought, watching the hotel owner as he smiled wide at Jim's compliment, preening with pride, Jim had won him over with those few words. Jim always brought something with him to any of his encounters, be it with humans, aliens, males, or females. It emanated from the core of him. Waves of warmth, pleasure, benign interest flowed from Jim, and almost instantly changed the dynamics between him and anyone talking or interacting with him. It was very much like drinking champagne. You felt all your perceptions heightened, your interest kindled, and your feelings became engaged when you interacted with Jim. Leonard had seen it innumerable times when he was with Jim, but had never observed it in anyone else, not ever. It was more than his good looks, more than his natural charm or charisma. It was almost like magic. It happened automatically, effortlessly and without guile, and he'd often wondered if Jim was even aware of this gift of his.

"I would be happy to show you around my hotel and grounds, Mr. Davis, and you too, Doctor. This hotel is my pride and joy," he beamed at them.

"We'd enjoy that, but perhaps a bit later, Mr. Fane. We are tired from our journey and we'd like to unpack and relax for a bit."

"Of course, of course. Here are your passcodes for your doors, rooms 307, 309. Please lock your doors every time you leave. The cleaning bots will clean your room around mid morning. If you'd prefer a different time just let the front desk know. We have a full restaurant and bar, and room service of course. Our kitchen is fully equipped to make any dietary accommodations should you require them. Again, just let the front desk know. The lift is to your left by the grand staircase, your rooms are on the third floor. As you exit the lift, turn right, and your suites are at the end of the hallway. Enjoy your stay, gentlemen." He bowed and left them.

The four men followed the owner's directions and were soon inside their rooms. Jim looked around. It was a pleasant room, not luxurious, but warm and cozy, with two full beds on which were two softly faded mismatched quilts and two fluffy pillows. There was a tallboy dresser with six drawers, and two night stands with lamps beside each bed. There was also a small cooling unit, and a screen for holo viewing. Two windows faced the beautiful lawn, and the sunlight streamed in through the clear glass windows. The heavy lace curtains were drawn to the sides of the windows for an unobstructive view of the huge lawn and garden.

"Nice isn't it, Bones?"

"Real nice. It'll be nice to see more of it. Reminds me of home. Let's unpack and then we can go explore the town. I wonder if the agents are goin' with us."

As if on cue, there was a knock on their adjoining door. Jim unlocked it and Dulmar and Lucsly came in. "We thought we would show you around Caldos II, Captain, Doctor. This is not a big city, it's actually a small town thrown together quickly by the Federation when the great moon collision happened and someplace had to be found for the refugees. It's population is made up mostly of evacuees from Avarda III, those who didn't want to stay here were returned to earth. If you're amenable, we can eat a late lunch in town while we're out and then we'll show you where Dr. Howard's office is located. Her work day ends at 1700 hours. She never stays after work hours except on days when Beverly has an after school activity or a meeting. Since their evacuation, she doesn't like leaving Beverly alone in the house for too long after she comes home from school, so don't expect a long conversation today after your introduction."

Jim and Bones looked at each other. "Sounds good," Jim responded. "We'll meet you downstairs in thirty minutes."

He closed the door and locked it again, then glanced at Bones' to see his amused smile. "Don't want them barging in here, unannounced," Jim said.

"They get on my nerves too," Leonard told him. "They're sure not the most genial guys I've ever met, and that monotone speech pattern they both have is annoyin'. Did you notice it?"

"Yeah I did. I think it's because they have to copy so many different dialects when they time travel, so their own is completely nondescript. And speaking of that, I better start using my newly acquired southern drawl. Are you sure it sounds genuine compared to yours, Bones? I don't want to mess up with Dr. Howard."

Jim sounded a little anxious and Leonard hastened to reassure him. "You sound fine, Jim. Just speak slowly and draw out your vowels a little and you'll be fine." He looked at the time. "We better go, I'm sure the agents are already waiting for us downstairs."

They were. Mr. Fane bid them a genial goodbye, and the four men stepped out of the hotel and got into the parked hover. "We'll go to the Main Street area," Dulmar told Lucsly who was piloting. He turned to Jim and Leonard in the back seat. "There is a public parking lot and several restaurants to choose from for lunch. We'll park and walk to the restaurant and then we'll show you where Felicia's office is, also the house where she and Beverly live. After that your time is your own until her office closes and you visit to introduce yourselves. When you have concluded your visit, just comm us and one of us will pick you up. Does that time frame sound reasonable to you?"

Jim nodded. "Yes, that sounds fine, but Bones and I will probably eat dinner here in town, and afterward we can always get a taxi to the hotel." He raised an inquiring eyebrow at Bones.

"Sounds good to me, Jim."

"Very well, Captain. We will debrief when you return to the hotel this evening."

They walked through the main area of town, familiarizing themselves with the small town. After a late lunch the two agents showed them the location of Felicia Howard's Office. It was a frame house, that had been transformed into a small office, painted white with green shutters and a small porch. Above the door hung a bell and a sign that said Dr. Felicia Howard, General Practice. From there they walked another two blocks to what was obviously the residential part of Caldos II. The neighborhood had sidewalks and modest looking, well kept homes and gardens. Agent Lucsly pointed to one of the houses. "That's Felicia's house. It's not big, but it's only the two of them, and Felicia is a simple down to earth woman. She charges nominal fees to her patients, knowing that some of them lost everything in the Moon collision."

"A Doctor after my own heart," Leonard said. "Healing, not money is her priority."

"Just like you, Bones," Jim told him, delighted to see him turn pink with embarrassment.

Leonard cleared this throat. "Do you know if there's another doctor in town?"

"There are two others, actually, a pediatric specialist, and a retired surgeon who will still do emergency surgeries. Anything complicated, they notify the Federation and they send a hospital ship."

"A good plan that," Leonard said approvingly.

After putting the addresses into their comms, the agents left them. Both men gave sighs of relief. The two agents were, to say the least, not of a sunny disposition.

"If I ever hear one of them laugh, I'll pass out from shock," Leonard frowned. "Those two have the sourest faces I've ever seen."

Jim snickered. "I was just thinking the same thing, Bones. Come on, Uncle Rafael, let's go sight seeing until it's time to see Felicia."

They killed the couple of hours left until the office closed by going to a small park where young mothers and their children were enjoying the beautiful afternoon, then to a quaint old style grocery store, and a clothing store. "Looks like a nice peaceful place doesn't it, Jimmy?"

"Yeah, sort of idyllic. Haven't seen any police officers yet. Traffic is light too, bet you can just walk to most places in town. I wonder how many evacuees ended up here."

"We'll have to ask the agents."

At ten minutes until Felicia's office closed they made their way to her office. A small bell jingled as they came in. A young man standing at a file cabinet turned to face them with a smile. "May I help you? We're about to close, but if it's an emergency I'm sure Dr. Felicia will see you."

"Thank you, young man," Leonard said using his most avuncular southern manners. "But we're here on a personal matter.. Would it be possible to see Dr. Howard?"

A door opened and a woman came in. She was of middle height with soft blond hair that had a little grey sprinkled in it. Her skin was smooth and pale, but her cheeks were rosy, naturally pink, Jim thought, and she had on an old fashioned white medical coat. She smiled at both men. "I'm Dr. Howard, how can I help you?"

Leonard turned. "Dr. Howard, a great pleasure, ma'am. I'm Dr. Rafael McCoy Davis, retired, and this here is my nephew and traveling companion, Mr. James Samuel McCoy Davis. We're distant relatives of your grand daughter, Beverly, on the distaff side, through her mother. I'm here to speak with you, 'cause I'm writing the biography of Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, my great great great uncle, and your grand daughter Beverly's 5 times great grandfather. My three times great grand daddy, Samuel Ulysses McCoy and Dr. Leonard McCoy were brothers. My nephew here, is helping me with my research and the family interviews. We have been all over creation interviewin' Dr. McCoy's female descendants. I have my research here," he patted his bag, "if you'd be interested in seeing it."

Felicia Howard turned to the young man. "Robert, you may go. We're finished for the day. Put the closed sign on the door as you go out please."

"I've finished all the filing, Dr. Howard. See you tomorrow. Nice meeting you," he said to Jim and Leonard on his way out.

Felicia took off her white coat and hung it. "I have to go home now, Dr. Davis, but I'm very interested in hearing more about your book and your research. Will you both walk with me?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 7**

" **They always say time changes things,**

 **but you actually have to change them yourself."**

 **Andy Warhol**

Felicia tuned off the lights in her front office and they followed her to the porch. She flipped open her comm and typed in her code to put up the security shield. Leonard looked a question at her.

"For the most part, Dr. Davis, this is a very peaceful law abiding town, but since I keep dangerous drugs in the office, even if they're under lock and key, I can't be too careful. I'm sure you did the same when you had your practice."

"I sure did, Dr. Howard. Cain't fool around with stuff like that."

"My home is just two blocks away. If you'd like to walk with me, I'd like to know more about your book, a biography of Dr. Leonard McCoy you say? It sounds fascinating."

Leonard threw a quick glance at the silent Jim who bit his lip in amusement at hearing Spock's favorite word. _So_ , Leonard thought, _this is it._ It was evident that Felicia Howard was no fool. She was astute and obviously highly intelligent, and somehow they had to convince her of the sincerity of their intentions and their commitment to writing a comprehensive biography of Dr. Leonard H. McCoy.

Leonard softened his voice and lengthened his vowels as he spoke. "Well now, Dr. Howard, this book has been a long time comin'. I've been workin' on it off and on for almost fifteen years. You understand that my time was very limited back when I had my practice, so I could only do research when I was on vacation or sometimes in the evening. Jim, even back when he was just a boy, always accompanied me on my trips so I could get more done."

"Our family has always had a deep admiration for Dr. Leonard McCoy, Dr. Howard. We're proud to claim him as one of our own. I helped Uncle Rafael with his research and interviews when I could, during my high school and college vacations." Jim grinned softly as if in fond reminisces. "I got a whole lot of free travel out of it, just by helping out Uncle Rafael," Jim said, slightly accentuating his drawl.

"And I was sure glad to have him along, I can tell you," Leonard told her. "When I retired last year, I was determined I was gonna' finish the researchin' and finally gettin' to the actual writin' part, so I gathered everythin' I had and lured Jim away from his real job to help me. I'm payin' him his same salary to organize it all for me. He's a whiz at that sort of thing. Anyways, Jim is the one who spotted somethin' interestin' as he was goin' through my research and interviews. He noticed that all of Dr. McCoy's female descendants chose to be doctors, every single one of them. Mighty surprisin' that was. So, right then and there after talkin' it over with Jim here, I decided that yes, the biography would focus Dr. McCoy's life, but also on how his life of medical service influenced all the women of his family who came after him." Leonard shifted uncomfortably as he walked by Felicia's side. Talking about himself like he was doing was surreal and very uncomfortable.

He plowed on. "I understand you're the guardian of Beverly McCoy Howard, Dr. Howard. We discovered she's a direct descendant of Dr. Joanna McCoy, Leonard's only child. I know her age from Federation public records and that she's still too young to know much of anythin' about Leonard, but Jim and I hoped that you, her grandmother, might have some family papers or stories handed down to share, stories or documents you might like to see included in the book."

They had reached the front of Dr. Howard's house. Felicia stopped and the three stood on the sidewalk by the front porch. From the flower beds on either side of the porch steps, the the scent of flowers wafted toward them in the soft evening breeze. It was an earth like scent, Leonard thought, not roses, but something softer, sweeter, more elusive; gardenias maybe, or sweat peas? In the coolness and scent of the early evening, the silence among the three, as they stood there, felt comfortable.

"This is our home, Dr. Davis, Mr. Davis. Beverly and I have lived here since the great moon evacuation. We love it here."

Leonard smiled gently at the obvious pride she had for her home. He was careful not to reveal they had seen her house before. "Looks like some of the old family homes in Marietta, Georgia, where we're from, real homey and comfortable." Obvious admiration and appreciation for her house was apparent on Leonard's face. "I've always liked front porches, think they're real friendly like."

"We do too," Felicia beamed at him. "That's exactly why I chose this model. There's just Beverly and I so we didn't need a bigger house. The Federation offered all the evacuees several different home models to choose from, different styles and sizes, all pre-fabricated of course, but made to look as if they've been here a long time. The Federation Engineers that traveled with us had all the house plans ready for us to choose while we were still on the evacuee ships. It was a long journey so we all had plenty of time to make our choices. After we chose, even with us still traveling on the ships, they started construction. Teams of Engineers came from all over the Federation and put the houses together. The landscapers came in immediately afterward and did everything is one day...can you believe it? It was truly amazing. Beverly was very impressed with the Federation Engineers on our ship, their efficiency, their compassion, their desire to get all the families settled as quickly as possible. They were very kind to all the children, very patient. They took the time to explain to all of us, but especially to the children, everything about how they build houses all over the quadrant. They built my office too, in fact most of the Office buildings in town."

So, Jim thought, the seeds for Beverly's sudden interest in Engineering were sown on that evacuee ship and the comfort and reassurance she received there from the Federation Engineers.

"I'd like to talk more to you and your nephew, Dr. McCoy, and I've enjoyed meeting you both, but I don't have time right now. Beverly will be coming home from chess practice in a few minutes."

"We fully understand, Dr. Howard, and we don't want to take up any more of your time. My nephew and I are staying at the Hotel California. I was wonderin' if perhaps you and your granddaughter might want to join us for dinner at the hotel tomorrow evening so we could converse further. I understand the food is real good there."

Felicia looked dubiously at him, and Leonard hurried on. "We realize we're total strangers to you, so Jim and I would be more than happy to provide you with character references and a copy of my research and interview transcripts that we've already collected. We've traveled to many places, researched most every place Dr. McCoy practiced medicine, including his time on the _Enterprise_ , and collected many stories and anecdotes about him. I do think you'll find what I've done so far of interest, especially since Dr. McCoy is Beverly's direct ancestor." Neither man said any more. It would not do to get too insistent or pushy with this astute woman.

"Grandma!" A little girl came skipping up to them. "What are you doing out here?" She looked up at Jim and Leonard and gripped her grandmother's hand tightly.

"Beverly, dear. This is Dr. Rafael McCoy Davis and his nephew Jim Davis. They're distant relatives of yours. They walked me home from the office so we could talk. They're writing a book about Dr. Leonard McCoy, your 5 times great grandfather. Do you remember that we've talked about him several times?"

Beverly nodded. "I remember, grandma."

Jim looked down at the little girl. She was long limbed and slender, with bright red hair worn long, loose and curly down her back. She was wearing a school uniform, a green plaid jumper with a white blouse, and she carried an old fashioned book bag. She didn't resemble her grandmother at all, except for her blue eyes. In them was the same direct forthright look as her grandmother's.

"It's nice to meet you, Beverly," Jim drawled and turned the full wattage of his smile on the child. It was that same smile that had won over Admirals, Ambassadors, and even hostile aliens.

She blinked big blue eyes at him. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Davis," she answered, shyly ducking her head.

"Dr. Davis and Mr. Davis have invited us to dinner tomorrow evening at the Hotel California, Beverly. Would you like to go? We've talked about going there to eat, but we've never been."

"I hope you'll join us, Beverly," Leonard said. "The Hotel is beautiful, and I was just telling your grandmother we've heard that the food is real good."

The little girl looked up at her grandmother. "I'd like to go, Grandma," she answered, her eyes shining in anticipation. "Lots of the kids at school have wanted to go, but they haven't yet."

"Good. You'll be the first of your friends to go, then." Leonard smiled at her. "We're mighty pleased that you'll be joinin' us. Jim rented a hover for us, would you like for us to pick y'all up, Dr Howard?"

"There's no need, Dr. Davis. I have a small runabout and we'll just meet you. What time would you like us to be there?"

"How about 6:30...we can walk through the grounds which are real beautiful, that way you can see more of the hotel than just the dining room. And, please, call me Rafael, Dr. Howard."

"And I'm Jim."

"Very well, and you both must call me Felicia. Now then, it's past time for me to fix dinner and for Beverly to do her homework. We'll see you tomorrow evening."

Leonard pulled out a chip from his medical bag. "My contact information is here, Felicia, as well as copies of our references, my research notes and transcripts. I hope you'll find time to read through them. Not real interestin' reading just yet, mostly it's just my notes, but Jim has organized them pretty well already, and I'll whip the notes into shape to make a readable and interestin' biography. It's perfectly alright for Beverly to read everything too, if she's interested that is. After all, Dr. McCoy is her ancestor."

"Thank you, Rafael." Felicia smiled affectionately at the little girl. "Beverly is a very intelligent child, she always gets top grades in all her classes. She also enjoys reading about many topics. So then we'll see you tomorrow evening for dinner."

The two men waited politely until Felicia and Beverly went up the front porch. Beverly stopped at the door. She turned and waved shyly at Jim and the door closed behind them.

"That famous Kirk charm worked again." Leonard chuckled softly and poked Jim in the ribs.

"Bones McCoy, stop poking me with your bony finger. I got worried that Beverly would nix the dinner invitation and you know that using a little avuncular charm never hurts...and kids seem to like me, at least all of Peter's friends do, and Davy does too."

"Yeah, it's true, they do. Probably recognize that you're a big kid yourself!"

Jim laughed. "There is that. When we get back to the hotel we'll make reservations for tomorrow night and go up for our debrief with the agents."

They ambled along the side walk, enjoying the beautiful evening, walking slowly, and looking at all the neat rows of houses on both sides of the street. Some were small like Felicia's, other larger, but all were built simply and attractively. "The Federation Engineering teams did a great job, don't you think so, Jim?" Leonard's voice was somber. "Hope it made up a little for having to leave their homes and their planet so suddenly."

"I hope so too, Bones." Jim was equally somber. "Anyway," he continued, trying to lighten the mood, "I think it went pretty well with Felicia, don't you think?"

"Yeah it did. At least we'll have a chance to talk to them again at dinner. I think we'll have to talk with the agents to see if they have instructions for our next step."

"Bones...," Jim stopped walking, looked around and seeing no one, took Leonard's arm and moved him to stand under one of the trees by the sidewalk.

"What is it, Jim. Somethin' botherin' you?"

"A little, yeah. Those two agents, they don't seem to have the best people skills."

"You think?" Leonard snorted. "By comparison, they make Spock seem genial, outgoing, and a great conversationalist."

Jim grinned. "Anyway, I don't think we need to take instructions from those two about how to win over Felicia and Beverly. I think we're likeable, personable, and sympathetic individuals, who are also good conversationalists. We've had a lot of experience getting along with beings of all kinds, humans, Vulcans, Andorians, many different species, even the Horta, your favorite rock person, Bones. So I think we should do what we've always done, be ourselves."

"Wellll now, Jimbo, that's the best idea you've had since this mission started. If we have any chance of success at changin' the timeline, we gotta' get that little girl on board makin' sure her choice will be to become a doctor. Those two agents have no idea what being a doctor means, especially aboard a star ship."

"Exactly. You're the expert here, Bones. You're the best doctor I know, the best in the Fleet, and if anyone can convince the child, by talk, or by deed, it's you."

"Thanks, Jim. You know I'm goin' to do my best. So what are we gonna tell the agents about this?"

"Not a thing, Bones. We're going to debrief with them when we get back to the hotel, listen politely to what they have to say, and then do our own thing. So let's walk back to the down town area, find a nice restaurant, have a leisurely dinner and then we'll head back to the hotel."

"I could use some good relaxin' time. I've been real nervous about meetin' Dr. Howard and Beverly. Sure didn't want to mess things up. What if the child or her grandmother didn't like me?"

"I had no doubt they'd like you. You're a real charmer when you set your mind to it, Dr. McCoy," Jim teased and watched the pleased flush that tinted Leonard's cheeks.

They walked back toward the downtown area, stopping in front of each restaurant they saw to read the dinner menus. They finally settled on a steakhouse, opting for it after Leonard declared it had been months since he'd had a steak. Delicious smells came from the kitchen when they opened the door, and they were seated promptly. After pursuing the extensive menu, Jim decided on a T-bone with a baked potato and grilled asparagus. Leonard went for a New York strip, fries, and a green salad. They decided to share a bottle of wine, sobriety being a necessity when talking with the DTI agents. Conversation topics ranged far and wide. Both Jim and Leonard were well read men, and enjoyed talking about many subjects. Relaxing with their coffee they looked across the table at each other.

"I think we've had a very productive day over all." Jim's hazel eyes were alight with satisfaction and contentment. "Bones, how long has it been since we sat down and had an nice evening together with good food, and good conversation that didn't have to do with the crew, our mission, or about the ship."

Leonard thought back. "You know, Jimmy. I can't really remember when we last did this, just the two of us. I mean we've had dinner in the Officer's Mess, and when we have to entertain dignitaries on the ship, or when we're on shore leave, but not just you and me. We're always with someone else, Spock, or Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, or Uhura, or all of them."

Jim looked thoughtful. "You're absolutely right." He tapped his fingernail hard on the table. "Well, that stops right now. From now on, we're going to make time to do it on a regular basis on or off ship. Spending time and relaxing with my best friend is definitely going to become a priority on my calendar. At least once a month. What do you think?" Jim's hazel eyes shone brightly. He was obviously very pleased by his idea.

"I like it real well," Leonard responded, smiling. "And it's gonna' be a priority on my calendar too. As busy as we are all the time, it's all too easy to let friendships, relationships, and social niceties go by the wayside." His blue eyes twinkled. "It's not the southern way, James Samuel McCoy Davis, and since you're now a southerner, you must abide by the code of southern hospitality!"

The waiter came over with their check and Jim handed over his credit chip. "Where can we catch a taxi to take us to the Hotel California?" he asked the young man.

"Right here, Sir. I'll be glad to acquire one for you. If you will wait at the entrance of the restaurant, the taxi will pick you up there. All our taxi's are ground cars, if that's acceptable to you. It keeps the sky lanes for the hovers less congested."

"That'll be fine." The waiter handed him the chip reader and Jim signed it, leaving a big tip in appreciation of the fine food and service. "Thanks for your help and our compliments to the chef. The steaks were excellent."

The waiter smiled. "I'll be sure to tell him. He's my dad. This is a family owned restaurant."

Leonard looked pleased. "Glad to hear it, son. My nephew and I like to frequent family owned businesses. They're good for the local economy. Good night and thanks."

"Good night, sirs. Come back to see us any time."

Jim and Leonard found the taxi already waiting for them. The ride back to the hotel was mostly silent.

"I think I'll let you take the lead in our upcomin'' conversation with the agents, Jim." Leonard spoke softly aware of the taxi driver in the front seat.

Jim looked questioningly at him. "Are you sure, Bones? After all this is really your...'project'. I'm mostly here as a your support."

"I'm sure, Jim. You're the one with the silver tongue after all, and you're far more diplomatic than me, that's for sure."

"Not always, but if that's what you want, that's what we'll do."

They entered the hotel to find Mr. Fane behind the desk. "Good evening, gentleman. Did you enjoy your outing? We are quite proud of our little town. It's not very old, but our community has worked hard to make it attractive and family friendly."

"We sure did, Mr. Fane. It's amazin' what y'all have accomplished here. We met one of your local doctors, Dr. Felicia Howard and her granddaughter, Beverly. Jim and I are distant kin of her family."

Cary Fane beamed. "She's a lovely lady and a fine doctor," he said. "We think very highly of our Dr. Davis around here."

"They're gonna come here for dinner tomorrow evening, Mr. Fane, so I'd like to make reservation for the four of us...dinner at 7. Young Beverly expressed an interest in your beautiful hotel, so Jim and I thought we'd show them the grounds too."

"Excellent idea, Dr. Davis." Fane pressed a button, looking pleased. "Solange," he said into the intercom. "Please make a dinner reservation for Dr. Davis for four at 7:00 pm tomorrow evening."

"Got it, boss," came the disembodied voice of Solange.

"Solange is my assistant, maître d'hôtel, waiter, host, and chef **,"** he explained, "and my daughter," he added proudly. "Couldn't do this without her. Loves the hotel as much as I do. I offered to send her back to Earth to further her education, but she flatly refused. She wanted to stay here and learn the hotel business. Her mother perished in the great moon collision...she was one of those who were killed, because they could not be evacuated in time. We got separated somehow, trying to get to the evacuation ships, and Solange and I never saw her again."

"We're very sorry for your loss, Mr. Fane," Jim said.

"Thank you, Mr. Davis. We both miss her greatly." He sighed, his eyes sad. "Now, then, what else can I do for you?"

"We've got work to do this evening, and we'll be up late. We've had dinner, but we'd like dessert and coffee so if we could have room service bring it up to us that would be helpful."

"Of course. The room service menu is in your rooms. Just comm the kitchen with your orders and Solange will send it right up."

"Thank you, Mr. Fane. A good evening to you, sir."

While Leonard commed the kitchen to order their dessert, Jim knocked on the adjoining door. It opened immediately. Dulmar and Lucsly stood there looking at him expectantly. "We were waiting for your return, Captain."

"Bones is ordering dessert and coffee for us, along with a nightcap," Jim told them. "If you'd like to do the same we can debrief while we eat."

"I think that would work quite well, Captain," Dulmar said. "However, we have not had dinner. We'll order and be with you shortly."

"We'd be happy to share our bourbon with you," Jim told them.

"We don't drink alcohol, water will do," Lucsly responded, and closed the door.

"Will they be comin' to eat with us, Jim?" Leonard asked closing the comm.

"They'll be here in a few minutes, they hadn't had dinner. We'll have to kill the bourbon between us, they don't drink."

Leonard snorted. " 'Course they don't, alcohol might relax them enough to crack a smile, and we couldn't have that now, could we."

"Bones..." Jim tried for sternness, but he was grinning too hard to carry it off.

A knock at the door interrupted. He opened it to find two delivery bots with a rolling cart. On it were two dessert plates with apple pie a la mode, a carafe with coffee, sugar, creamer, silverware, and a small bottle of bourbon with glasses. The bots rolled in the cart and Jim inserted his credit chip to pay for everything. Leonard sniffed the apple pie in appreciation.

"Smells and looks delicious, Jim. Let's sit down."

"Let's wait for the agents, Bones. That way we can eat our dessert, debrief with the agents and they can go back to their own rooms. I'd like to enjoy our night cap at our leisure."

"Good point. There's only so much hilarity and mirth from those guys that I can stand in one evening," Leonard said, as they they sat down to wait.

Agent Dulmar came in from the other room with their dinners on a rolling cart and Lucsly brought in two chairs. They looked at Jim and Leonard expectantly. "Shall we begin the debrief? We can eat while you talk."

Leonard nodded, resigned. "Alright then, here's where we're at. We both feel that our initial contact with Felicia and Beverly went very well," Leonard began, stopping to taste his apple pie. His eyes closed in bliss. It was delicious.

Jim went on. "We invited them to dinner tomorrow evening and Felicia accepted. Bones left her a copy of the research data that you prepared for us. He encouraged her to read it to get a feel for what we're trying to do. We also left letters of introduction with our references. We both felt our first priority was to gain Felicia's trust and confidence," Jim went on. "I think we're well on our way with that. Our next step is to find out more about Beverly's likes and dislikes, her interests, her hobbies, things like that. Bones will sound the child out at dinner, in a very general way of course, about her career interests...the "what do you want to be when you grow up," conversation. We'll go from there in figuring out our next step."

"Please do not waste too much time on preliminaries, Captain, there is little time to waste."

"Now you look here, Dulmar, who's doin' this? You or us?" Bones interrupted him testily.

"You are, of course, Dr. McCoy." Dulmar answered.

"Well, then. Let us handle it. We know what we're doin'," Leonard looked angrily at the two agents. Under his fierce glare, the two men seemed to deflate and Jim hid his grin behind his wine glass. He had thought he would have to put on his Captain's pants to intervene if the agents got too pushy. Bones hated to be micro managed by anyone. However, from the look of things, it looked as if it was not going to be necessary. Jim relaxed, sat back in his chair and proceeded to enjoy his dessert.


	8. Chapter 8

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 8**

" **Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come.**

 **We have only today. Let us begin."**

 **Mother Theresa**

The two men slept well, the sleep of the just, as Bones' mama always said after a good night's sleep. In other words they'd slept easily and deeply, satisfied with their efforts of the day, secure in the knowledge they'd taken the first big step in befriending Felicia and Beverly. Jim woke up first, and looked toward the other bed. Bones was still sound asleep, snoring softly. He grinned as he got out of bed. He'd been waiting years to say what he was about to say. He put a gentle hand on Bones' thin shoulder and shook him gently.

"Wake up, lazy Bones!"

Leonard groaned and opened one blue eye. "Jim Kirk. Did you really say what I think you said?" He mumbled sleepily.

"Yep," Jim said gleefully. "Enjoyed the hell out of it, too. Hurry up and get up, Bones. I'm heading to the shower."

"I'm up, I'm up. Go on, take your shower."

Jim didn't take long. Captains learned early in their careers to shower and dress quickly, and so did CMOs. Before long they were both getting dressed for the day and looking forward to their first cup of coffee.

Leonard hoped they wouldn't have too much interaction with the agents today. Yes, he thought to himself as he buttoned his shirt, speaking his mind to the two DTI agents had felt good. He and Jim didn't need two extra people cluttering up their mission play yard.

"You know, Jimmy, just because those two cardboard clowns travel up and down all through time, doesn't mean they know everything," Leonard said testily, as they finished getting dressed. They had decided to go down to breakfast instead of room service. "We don't need to be babysat through every inch of this mission like we don't know what we're doing. I reckon I know how to approach my own kin. The McCoy clan values family a lot, no matter how distant kin we might be, you know this, Jim."

"I do know, Bones," Jim murmured soothingly. "Didn't your whole family accept me and treat me like family from the very beginning when we first became friends?"

"Damn straight! Took to you like a duck to water, and you don't even have any McCoy blood in you. But they recognized kinship when they saw it. By God, doesn't Joanna love and adore you? Loves all the stories you tell her about the ship and the crew. Beverly will be just the same, you wait and see. And at ten, she's just the right age to enjoy all the stories of Dr. McCoy's adventures about his time on the ship and away missions, especially if you tell them to her the way you do with Joanna, all dramatic and everythin'."

Jim turned an affectionate look at Bones. "I'm looking forward to our dinner, Bones, getting to know Felicia and Beverly a bit more," Jim pulled on his light green sweater and brown cords. "Once we've spent time with them, we'll know a lot more about how best to approach the child about becoming a doctor and following in the footsteps of the other McCoy women physicians."

"I'm countin' on that, Jim."

"What do you want to do after breakfast?"

"Well now, I'm thinkin' we should go back to look through that dossier on Beverly, 'cause it's important for us to see her school grades, hobbies, and interests. There was so much in those dossiers that I don't remember if we even paid much attention at the information on her schooling and grades, what she did at school for fun before the moon collision. I know yesterday Felicia mentioned Beverly was at chess practice, so we do know that much. You'll have to talk with her about how much you love chess, and about playing with Peter."

"Peter?" Jim looked startled.

"Yeah, there's no harm in mentioning you have a young nephew named Peter, and that you play chess with him." Leonard raised an eyebrow at him.

Jim thought about it. "No, you're right, what's the harm? They won't know he's in their far distant past." His eyes squinted, trying to remember. "I think the information is there, Bones, even if the school was destroyed in the moon collision. Those agents were very thorough. I'm sure that like most schools, it was uploaded to a cloud website and the agents put all that school information in the dossier. We just had too much to read through and assimilate before we got to all of it. I know I just focused on what I thought was the most important, and I don't think Beverly's schooling made my cut."

"Mine either, but now I'm thinkin' that her school history will help me get a complete psychological profile of the child since she came to live with Felicia after her parents died. You remember I did that with Peter, Jim, when he first came to you, after Sam and Aurelan died. It helped me quite a bit to come up with my counseling plan for him after the tragedy. Not that Beverly needs counseling, mind you, if she did, I'm sure Felicia would've taken care of that already, but it'll help us to figure out the best way to approach her about her interests and possible career choices. I especially wanna hear what she has to say about those engineers on the ship. I think that's the key." He sighed. "Hopefully it's just a passing interest brought on by her admiration of the work they did to get the evacuees settled here. With us here to intervene, that hero worship might be tempered down a bit."

"That child has already had two big traumas in her young life, losing both her parents so young, and then the great moon collision. I'm sure the engineers represented safety for all the evacuees, but especially the children. Felicia did too, of course," Jim added, "but she's always been constant in Beverly's life. The engineers on the ship were new and shiny, heroes in her eyes. Felicia did say they were very attentive with the children."

"That's what I think too. Let's get down to breakfast." Leonard jerked his thumb at the other room. "We don't have to invite those two, do we?"

"Nope, the only thing we have to do is debrief with them at the end of the day, or when we need to find out something from them."

"Good," Leonard muttered. "I'm making it my personal mission that before those two disappear back to their own time, I'm gonna make at least one of them crack a smile."

The dining room was starting to fill up, but a pretty young woman at the entrance smiled at them, picking up two menus. "Gentleman, good morning. Are you here for breakfast?"

Jim smiled and nodded. "We're both pretty hungry."

"Then follow me, please. There's a smaller table by the window with a lovely view of the garden, and it's a beautiful day. Would that be all right?"

"Just perfect," Leonard told her, sitting down and taking the menu she handed him. "Now, my dear, would you be Solange?" Leonard asked in his best southern drawl.

"I am," she said. She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Your daddy told us about you. He's mighty proud of you and the work you do here at the hotel."

Her dimples flashed and her dark eyes twinkled. "I hope he didn't go on and on about me and bore you."

"Not at all. We enjoyed our conversation with him very much."

She handed Jim his menu. "Dad says you're from Earth, and you're here to speak with Dr. Howard."

"Yes, Uncle Rafael is a distant relative of Dr. Howard's. We met her yesterday and she and her granddaughter are having dinner with us here this evening."

"Excellent! We have a fine dinner menu planned. I'm sure they'll enjoy it. I'll send Laura over to you; she'll be your waitress."

After a full breakfast of ham and eggs for Jim, and scrambled eggs and bacon, for Leonard, along with buttered toast, jam, hash browns, fried tomatoes and two cups of coffee, Leonard leaned back replete. "Now that's what I call a real breakfast, reminded me of home or Win's cooking, it was delicious."

Jim nodded. "I wonder if the food is local sourced or brought in by freight ships. It all tasted like the real McCoy." He winked at Bones.

Leonard gave him a quelling look. "Behave yourself!" He kicked him lightly under the table.

The waitress came forward, refilling his coffee cups and handing Jim the bill, overheard the question. "Both, Sir. We do have some local sources now, but some things still have to be brought in. We are slowly becoming more self-sufficient and hope that in five years or so we won't need as much help from the supply ships."

"Well you've accomplished a lot already. We have no doubt that the rest will come in time," Jim told her putting his credit chip in the machine, leaving her a generous tip.

After finishing their coffee, Jim and Leonard took the lift up to the third floor. When the lift door opened the two agents were standing there waiting for it.

"Gentlemen," Dulmar greeted them. "We are going down to breakfast. Would you like to join us?"

"We've just finished, but thanks," Jim said. "The food is great, enjoy."

"I'm sure it is adequate," Lucsly responded stiffly, and they entered the lift.

"Thank the good Lord we'd eaten," muttered Leonard. "Those two sour pusses would have curdled the cream in our coffee."

Jim laughed. He was starting to think the two agents had now taken Spock's place for Bones to have someone to grouse about. Inside their room they pulled out the chip with Beverly's dossier and brought up all her data on the large room comm.

They sat reading and discussing each point the agents had highlighted about the child's history.

"Jim, look here." Leonard pointed one long finger and highlighted the paragraph.

"When the two lived on Arvada III, Beverly and her grandmother looked for and harvested herbs, grasses, tree chemicals and roots as medicine to help the injured when the colony ran out of synthetic medicine before the rescue ships arrived. According to this report, she was very good at it. Picked up all Felicia taught her real quick. Apparently Felicia is quite knowledgeable about medicinal plants, and," he grinned widely, "isn't it lucky that I am too. With all the research on plants that Spock and I have done after away missions, I think I can hold my own with Felicia, and peak Beverly's interest at the same time."

"How will you bring it up, Bones?"

"General conversation. Just tell them some of McCoy's areas of interest, xenopsychology, southern cooking, medicinal plants, etc."

Jim nodded thoughtfully. "It might work."

"I think it will...I'll just have to be careful not to go overboard. We'll need to add those things to the Dr. Leonard McCoy's notes. Luckily, if it comes up, I can just say I've added a few things we've learned recently to my original data and I hadn't had time to update the copy I gave to Felicia."

"That's a good plan. Bones," Jim's voice sounded somber. "Tomorrow is November 21st Earth calendar. We're entering that window of time when Beverly changed her mind about becoming a doctor. Whatever we decide to do, we need to start right away to change it back."

Leonard looked somber too. "Don't think I don't know that, Jimmy. It's like the Sword of Damocles is hanging over my head. I have this foreboding in my soul. What if we fail? What if Beverly doesn't become a Fleet doctor and save Picard, what if those Borg monsters destroy Earth, Vulcan, Andor, even the Romulans and Klingons. If the combined might of all those powerful worlds, plus all the rest of the Alpha quadrant worlds banding together, won't be enough to stop them, what chance do we, have?"

"Bones...stop! We can't think like that. We're here to do a job and that's what we're going to do." He turned in his seat and faced Leonard's worried blue eyes. "Listen to me. When have we ever failed on a mission. When?"

"Never," Leonard muttered, casting his eyes down.

"What?"

"Never," Leonard said, a bit louder.

"Exactly. And this time will be no different. I know we'll be successful."

Leonard looked at the determined, steadfast hazel eyes, and nodded slowly. "Okay, Jim. Then that will be our plan A. Let's see what else is in the dossier that we might be able to use." The two men went back to their scrutiny of Beverly's dossier.

"Hmm," Jim rumbled, looking intently at his section. "Look here, Bones. It's her school counselor's report. It says here that the child is highly intelligent, gifted actually, but that she was bullied at school, ridiculed for her bright red hair and her physical appearance, her height especially. She is tall for age, I thought."

"Yeah, she is pretty tall for a ten year old," Leonard said remembering his first impression last evening of the little girl, all long arms and legs. Now he was thinking clinically about Beverly's appearance and he sighed. "Kids can be real mean to each other sometimes. She must have really stood out."

"Yeah," Jim agreed, thinking of Peter. He hoped with all his might that nothing like that would ever happen to the little boy. He nibbled at his lip worriedly. He knew that his mother kept an eagle eye on Peter's well-being, and that she wouldn't hesitate to intervene if she thought bullying was going on at Peter's school. He'd have to make it a point to talk to his mother about that.

With difficulty he brought his mind back to the task at hand. "Bones, it also says here that she's quiet, shy and socially awkward. I sort of got that impression about her last night...at least the shy part."

Leonard nodded. "Me too. Sort of comes with being tall, red haired and a lot smarter than your peers." He leaned back. "I think, Jimbo, that we'll have to approach this by talking about all her female physician ancestors, emphasizing their intelligence, compassion, and uniqueness. Not too much, though, don't want them to sound like paragons, cause that could back fire on us."

Jim grinned. "You know best, Bones. And you what's great?"

""No, what."

"That she'll be the first one in her class to dine at the Hotel California. That should get her some prestige and respect from her classmates!"

Jim got up from his chair. "I'm getting stiff from sitting, Bones; I think I'll go for a run. I'm missing my workouts already. I'm sure the hotel has a gym, but it's a beautiful day out, shame to waste it."

"Yeah, I'll come with you. I'm thinkin' some fresh air would be good...my brain could sure use a change of scenery."

They changed into their running clothes and took the lift down. The sun was brilliant, the sky a turquoise blue, a different shade of blue than Earth's, yet very beautiful. It was uncanny how this planet was so much like Earth, but not. The colors were different just enough to know that you were not on Earth.

"Ready, Bones?"

"Ready."

And they began to run, slowly at first, than faster as they fell into their usual rhythm. On the ship, the two men had a standing routine. Three times a week they ran around the saucer section of the great ship. It was the largest distance available and they ran for six miles. Sometimes, depending on their schedule, Uhura, Chekov, or Sulu joined them, but either in the morning before shift, or after shift, they ran. It kept them both fit and strong, although Jim also worked out in the gym. He did a lot of upper body work, working those broad powerful shoulders, keeping them at top strength and fitness, and even some hand to hand with Spock, (who always trounced him) and some gymnastic work to keep him limber. Leonard, not needing as much of a workout, since he was Medical and not Command, only joined him occasionally in the gym.

By the time they came back, an hour later, they were sweaty and breathing more heavily. They stopped in front of the Hotel doors and bent forward to catch their breaths.

Jim clasped Leonard on the back. "Felt good, didn't it?"

"Sure did. It's a real pretty little town, isn't it? Peaceful. The Feds have done a great job establishin' it and the locals have prettied it up real nice. I like it. Wouldn't be a bad place to retire someday."

"Retire!" Jim protested. "Bones! You're way too young to be thinking of retirement, and besides this is too far away from Joanna. And from what the DTI agents said, you are going to keep on working for a long time to come."

"Yeah, well, don't rain on my wishful thinkin' parade, Jim Kirk. A man can dream, can't he?"

"Dream all you want to, old man, but you're staying with me until they push us both off the ship sitting in hover chairs in our doddering old age. I couldn't be a good Captain without my Bones as the CMO of my ship."

Leonard sputtered in protest. "'Course you could, Jim. You're a great Captain, with or without me."

"Nope, not true. Sometimes you're the only thing that keeps me sane, Bones. If I didn't have you to vent to, I don't know what I'd do. Don't ever short change yourself."

Leonard flushed pink, pleased. The two men didn't often articulate how deep their friendship was. He put an affectionate hand on Jim's arm. "Thanks, Jim. Sometimes I've felt that I'm not as useful to you, or the crew, compared to Spock. That Vulcan can do just 'bout anything he puts his mind to."

Jim's eyes widened. "Bones! No! Don't ever feel that way. You're the heart of the ship. Don't ever forget that. We couldn't do without you, me, the Command crew, all the crew, even Spock, though he'd die rather than admit it. Now come on, we're getting sappy," he laughed, his hazel eyes crinkling. "Let's go shower, get some lunch and get back to that dossier."

They did just that...showered, ate a light lunch, then got back to work. They took a short midafternoon break for coffee and continued their research. At 6 pm Jim stood and stretched, rubbing at his tired eyes. "That's enough, Bones. I think we've found all the information that's in any way pertinent about Beverly. You'll just have to work with the information we've found so far in order to do her psychological profile. Maybe at dinner when you observe more of her behavior and Felicia's interactions with her, you'll be able to get a better picture."

"Possibly," Leonard mused, "but I think I can work with what we've found. To begin with, from the little I saw yesterday, they seem to have a strong loving, mutually nurturing relationship. You saw how Beverly was immediately protective of her grandmother, seeing her with two strange men. And I imagine Felicia is less a grandmother figure and more of a mother figure to Beverly, like your mother is to Peter. The two women may be grandparents, but their role is much more of a parental role. At least that's what I've observed with Winona and Peter since he came to live with her."

"Yeah, I did notice that about Felicia and I agree with you. And I agree with you about Ma and Peter too. Ma imposes parental boundaries with Peter, his behavior, manners, homework, bath, chores, and school activities. I bet Felicia does the same with Beverly. She's not as indulgent as a grandparent would normally be."

They left it at that, and promptly at 5 minutes until 7, after changing into less casual clothes, both men were downstairs in the lobby waiting for their guests.

Felicia and Beverly walked in through the large hotel double doors. Jim saw they were both dressed in their best attire, and he was glad he and Bones had changed.

"Good evenin' ladies. You both look lovely. Jim and I are mighty happy you could join us. We thought we'd have dinner first and then show you the Hotel California and its beautiful grounds. Mr. Fane has the garden and grounds very well lit and they look beautiful in the evening."

"That sounds lovely, Rafael. Beverly and I are keen gardeners, aren't we, sweetheart?"

Beverly nodded shyly, keeping a tight grasp on her grandmother's hand.

"Jim and I noticed your lovely garden yesterday. I could smell all the flowers."

Jim approached the child, his tone warm and friendly. "Hello, Beverly. Isn't this a beautiful hotel? In a minute you're going to see something special. I asked Mr. Fane to wait until you got here to do it." Jim looked at Fane, who was behind the desk. "If you please, Mr. Fane." Then to the little girl. "Look up, Beverly."

She looked up obediently and Fane switched on the crystal sconces. The brilliant light through the crystals cast tiny rainbows on the paneled walls and the white ceiling.

"Oh," breathed the child. "Look grandma, isn't it beautiful?" She was mesmerized by the show of tiny rainbows, the light diffused by the prisms.

"It certainly is." Felicia looked over at Fain. "Thank you. That was very special."

"You're quite welcome, Dr. Howard. I'm happy the little miss enjoyed it. Solange will take you to your table now," he said beckoning to his daughter.

"Shall we, Felicia?" In an old fashioned, courtly gesture, Bones offered his arm to her and Jim extended his hand to Beverly. The little girl looked up at him and he smiled at her reassuringly. She took it, and they followed Solange into the dining room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 9**

" **The present passed into the future."**

 **Terri Guillemets,**

 **"Toute à l'heure,"**

The dining room was beautifully appointed. The snowy white linens, sparking crystal and bright silverware under a large chandelier were simply and tastefully displayed. Solange led them to a round table set for four. Jim had requested it earlier when he'd seen the different size tables at breakfast. It would facilitate conversation flow around the table. Solange placed the menus in front of them and smiled. "Your waitress will be here shortly."

Leonard, his southern manners on full display, pulled out Felicia's chair and Jim did the same for Beverly who looked at him shyly from underneath her lashes. Laura, the same waitress from the morning, filled their water glasses and placed fresh baked bread and whipped butter in a beautiful silver basket in the middle of the table. Jim opened his menu and the others followed.

"Beverly, would you like a children's menu with fewer choices?" Her grandmother asked her.

"No, thank you, grandma. I'd like to try something I haven't had before," she responded, her face hidden behind the large menu.

"Are you sure, sweetie?"

The child nodded. "What's the point of coming to a great restaurant if you just eat the same old thing?"

Leonard looked at her, approval in his blue eyes. "I feel exactly the same, Beverly. I'm happy to see that sense of adventure in you, like all the McCoy women Jim and I have researched. Seems to run in your family DNA."

Beverly raised her eyes to his. "Really, Dr. Davis?"

"Yes indeed. Brave strong, adventurous women one and all, especially those that served in Starfleet. Well, you already know Dr. Leonard McCoy served several tours as a Chief Medical Officer on the _Enterprise_ , and he had many adventures, but I'm talking about your women ancestors. A couple of them served as doctors on Federation ships, one served on a frontier planet, and another one even served as an exchange physician on Andor. I'll be glad to share a few stories I've collected about them with you."

Beverly nodded her head eagerly. "I'd like that."

Jim turned to Felicia. "I didn't get a chance to add a few more research notes to the research chip we gave you, Felicia, but..."

Laura approached with her data padd. "Is everyone ready to order?"

"I believe so," Jim said. "Felicia?"

"Yes, thank you, I'm ready. I'd like the braised pork chops with a loaded baked potato, roasted asparagus and a side salad."

"Beverly?"

"I'd like to try the grilled trout, with the sweet potato casserole and almond green beans." She grinned triumphantly at her grandmother, pleased with herself and her food choices.

Jim smiled at her raising a thumbs up. He and Leonard opted for roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy, and a side salad. Their orders concluded, they continued their conversation.

"As I was saying," Jim said, "your 5 times great grandfather had several areas of interest that he pursued when time permitted. You'll like this fact, Beverly. He enjoyed chess, and he was pretty good at it from what we've found out. He usually played with the Captain and the First Officer of the _Enterprise_. He also studied xenopsychology, Southern cooking, and knew a lot about medicinal plants. He even grew some herbs in the ship's botany bay."

"Oh!" Beverly exclaimed, sitting back in her chair. She looked like she was starting to relax and enjoy herself. "Grandma and I did that on Arvado III when we ran out of real medicine, didn't we grandma? Grandma was able to help people with the plants we found. We still do it here on Caldos on her days off. We like it."

Leonard beamed. "That's amazin', Felicia. You never know when a doctor will need a skill he may have acquired along the way. I've done some of that myself on Earth, Jim and I enjoy hiking a lot. We go hiking up to the Georgia hills and forests, not that I'm very good at it yet, I have to take my padd to help me identify plants we find, but I enjoy doing it. Don't know about Jim here," he smiled at his "nephew."

"Uncle Rafael, of course I do," Jim told him. "You know I love the outdoors. We went for a run today," he said to Felicia, glancing at Leonard. "Uncle Rafael keeps up with me very well. He's in great physical shape because he works hard at it."

"Grandma! We should go foraging tomorrow. It's Saturday! Mr. Jim and Dr. Rafael could go with us. We can go, can't we?" Her blue eyes were excited and eager as she turned to Felicia.

Felicia smiled indulgently at the excited Beverly. She looked expectantly at the two men. "If your schedule permits, we could go, if you would enjoy it. The terrain is a little difficult, rough and a bit steep, but rewarding in the number of plants that grow in the area. Also, Rafael, I could share the few anecdotes that my daughter shared with me about Dr. McCoy."

Leonard glanced at Jim, careful not to let triumph show on his face. "Jim, do we have any plans scheduled for tomorrow?"

"No, Uncle Rafael. We were going to review some of our notes, but we can do that anytime."

"Well, then, Miss Beverly," Leonard smiled at the child. "We'd be happy to go foragin' for medicinal plants with you."

"Oh, good!" Beverly looked excited and pleased.

"Shall we meet at your home?" Jim asked Felicia.

She nodded. "My flitter is big enough for the four of us. I park it in the public parking lot and then we walk up a really steep hill, so I hope you brought proper clothes. The terrain is rocky until we get to the tree line and grassy areas. Beverly and I like to go foraging often, hiking keeps me in good shape," she added, "and I do it because I like to supplement traditional medicine with a holistic focus. My patients seem to like it."

"I applaud you, Felicia," Leonard said. "Some of the old remedies are by way of being lost, and that's a shame. I've studied old Chinese, Amerind, and Ayurvedic medicinal practices, found it very rewardin'. Would love to discuss them with you on Saturday."

Their food arrived just then and everyone began to eat. The food tasted and smelled delicious, well prepared and fresh. "How's the trout, Beverly?" Jim asked.

"It's really good. Grandma and I don't get to eat fish very often."

"Fish are difficult to transport, so we don't get them in the store often," Felicia told them. "We've started a couple of fish farms, but mostly the harvests are for the local restaurants. The rest of us are put in a queue."

"Well I'm real glad you're enjoying it, Beverly." Jim grinned at the little girl. "We'll order a couple of good desserts to share," he promised her. Her eyes lit up as she grinned back.

The rest of the evening passed enjoyably for the four of them. After dinner, coffee for the adults, and dessert for everyone, Jim and Leonard took them to see the rest of the hotel, then they toured the lovely grounds. It was a beautiful evening and the lights situated strategically on the grounds showcased the flowers, shrubs, and trees perfectly. Felicia was vocal in her admiration of the landscaping. "Mr. Fane did an excellent job with his planting choices," she said. "You can tell it's a labor of love."

Afterward the two men walked Beverly and Felicia to her flitter. "We'll see you tomorrow morning. Is 8:30 alright?"

"We'll be there, Felicia. Uncle Rafael and I will being snacks for all of us."

"Wonderful. Thank you for a lovely dinner. It was a treat for both of us. Beverly, dear what do you say?"

"Thank you, Mr. Jim, Dr. Davis. See you tomorrow," she grinned and waved as Jim closed the flitter's sturdy doors.

Jim and Leonard watched the flitter take off. "That went very well, I think," Jim murmured softly.

"I think so too. We've got our foot in the proverbial door anyhow," Leonard responded equally softly. Sound carried far in the quiet and solitude of the grounds.

He turned a troubled face to Jim and the hazel eyes looked straight into his own.

"Bones, we're doing okay, the mission's only just begun," Jim reassured him.

Leonard sighed. "I'm just worried about our time, Jim, and changin' Beverly's mind, but you're right we're just startin'. Well, we better go inside to debrief with the agents."

They stopped at the main desk to tell Eric Fane how much their guests enjoyed their meals, and the tour of the hotel and grounds. The hotel owner beamed at them. "Thank you for telling me, Gentlemen. This hotel is my life. It gives me great pleasure when others enjoy what we've done here."

On their way to their room, Leonard glanced at Jim. "Eric Fane reminds me of you, Jimmy."

"Me?" Jim looked surprised "We're nothing alike, Bones."

Leonard shook his head. "Yeah, you are, you both have a deep abiding passion in your life. His is the hotel, yours is the ship."

Jim opened his mouth to disagree, but looking at Bones knowing blue eyes, he closed it and didn't say a word.

Jim knocked on the adjoining door and it opened immediately. Both agents stood there staring at them solemnly.

Leonard rolled his eyes. "We're ready for our debrief."

"I trust the evening went well, Doctor?"

"It went damn well, if you must know," Leonard answered testily.

Jim put out a calming hand on Leonard's arm. "Sit down, Gentlemen. Bones and I will debrief you. I think you'll be pleased."

The agents sat and Dulmar nodded at Jim. "Please begin, Captain."

Jim went over everything that had transpired from the moment Felicia and Beverly had walked through the hotel doors with only a few comments added from Bones. When he finished he sat back.

"That's about it. However we'll need some clothes for hiking," Jim told them.

"I will have them for you shortly." Dulmar left the room and after a few minutes returned with two sets of clothes and hiking boots and placed them on one of the beds.

Leonard opened his mouth to ask where they had come from, but decided against it. He really didn't want to know.

"Excellent debrief," Lucsly said. "You've made great progress. Your excursion tomorrow will provide ample opportunities for furthering your connection to the child and grandmother."

The two agents looked at each other. "Do you have any questions or further concerns at this time?" Dulmar asked. "We are at your disposal if you need us for anything." His face was less stoic than usual and Jim wondered if he was pleased at their progress or worried about their time element. It was hard to tell from their lack of expression.

Jim opened his mouth, but Bones spoke first. "Nope, we're fine for now, but thanks anyway. We'll let you know."

The agents left and Jim locked the door. He turned to the doctor. "Feel like a nightcap, Uncle Rafael?"

"Indeed I do, nephew James. Then to bed. We're gonna' be traipsin' up a steep hill tomorrow morning, so we better get some rest."

Jim ordered two bourbons to be sent up to their room and while they waited for the bots to bring them up, they got ready for bed. Leonard checked his beard and hair color in the bathroom mirror. To his critical eyes they still looked fine, but in the morning, in full sunlight, he'd have Jim inspect him. By the time he was in his pajamas and robe, the bots had come and gone. Jim handed him his drink and they sat sipping the smooth warm top shelf bourbon.

"Guess tomorrow morning we'll have our best chance of talking to Beverly, Bones. It'll be a great opportunity to share stories about Dr. Leonard McCoy as well as Dr. Joanna McCoy and her daughter and granddaughter."

"I'd like to look at the research data on Joanna's career, and on Dr. Leonora McCoy Ritter, and Dr. Savanna McCoy Russell's careers. That way I can share some anecdotes about them with Beverly." Leonard shook his head. "Messes with my head to think of those two women being my granddaughter and great granddaughter some day," he admitted to Jim.

"I'm sure it does, Bones. "I'm relieved the agents didn't see fit to share anything about my future with me...really I'd rather not know."

The rest of the evening was spent re-reading the extensive research the agents had prepared for them, then they went to bed.

The next morning they woke early, and dressed in their newly acquired jeans, hiking boots and flannel shirts. Leonard grabbed his Med kit, Jim grabbed their sun hats and leather gloves and they were ready. They made their way down to breakfast and Jim had Laura ask the kitchen to prepare a generous number of snacks and drinks for four, including items a ten year old would enjoy. He figured that children Beverly's age were always hungry and after hiking for a while, the three adults would be also.

Laura brought their snacks out for them. The kitchen had packed them in a Hotel California picnic basket and Jim was pleased to see it was full. The note attached said, hard boiled eggs, dried fruit, banana muffins, apples, chocolate cake, chips and flavored water.

"Perfect, thank the kitchen staff for us, Laura. We'll take good care of the basket."

"I will, Mr. Davis. Have a good time."

The shuttle ride to Felicia's house took five minutes. Jim saw her flitter was already parked in front of the house and ready to go. He flew to the neighborhood parking lot, and they walked the short distance to Felicia's house. It was a beautiful morning again, it had been beautiful every day since they'd arrived, and he wondered if the temperate climate had been the deciding factor in the Federation choosing this planet for the evacuees to colonize.

Jim knocked at the front door and they heard Beverly yell, "I'll get it grandma, it's Mr. Jim and Dr. Davis. I saw them on the security screen!" He and Leonard exchanged amused glances at the obvious excitement of the little girl.

"Well open the door and let them in, Beverly," came Felicia's voice. "I'm just finishing with our back packs, I'm putting the specimen containers in. Did you put your sweater in?"

"Yes grandma," they heard, and the front door opened. Beverly's beaming little face greeted them. Her blue eyes were shining with excitement, her hair was tied back in a pony tail and she was dressed much like Jim and Leonard in jeans and a flannel shirt over a red t-shirt. She grinned then remembered her manners. "Please come in. Grandma will be ready in a minute. She's packing our kits."

They stepped in to what was a small entry way looking around. The small house had been built with an open concept plan, a living area, cum dining room with the kitchen fully visible. The open layout gave the illusion of a bigger house. The ceiling had faux exposed beams, the walls were all painted white, and the floor had been made to look like pine. Everything looked beautifully clean. The furniture was well polished, the floor shone softly against the white walls, and there were a couple of pastel colored throw rugs on the floor. There was a hallway off the living area to what must have been the bedrooms and baths, and they could see a tiny laundry room beyond the kitchen.

Felicia walked in from one of the back rooms and handed Beverly her hiking back pack. "Hello, Jim, Rafael. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"No problem, Felicia, we just got here. Your home is lovely," Jim told her. "Very homey and cozy. Uncle and I both live in similar homes, although mine is really a farm house, my mom lives there right now, and Uncle Rafael's is in Marietta."

"Your mother lives alone, Jim?"

He shook his head. "She's a widow and she's raising my nephew. My brother and sister in law lived off planet, but they were killed in an accident."

Felicia's eyes softened. "I'm so sorry, Jim."

"Thank you. It was a very difficult time for all of us, still is sometime." He turned to Beverly. "I'm teaching Peter, my nephew to play chess, Beverly. He's getting pretty good. The kids have a chess club at his school too."

"Really, Mr. Jim? Do they compete?"

"Not yet. Their chess club only started this year, the kids need a little more practice and experience in timed competitive chess. Peter also has another coach, a friend of the family, who is a great chess player. He plays with Peter when I'm out of town. Peter's come along way with his chess strategy these past few months. If you'd like maybe we can play a game while Uncle Rafael and I are here. I'd be happy to give you a lesson." Jim kept his voice casual, giving Beverly the opportunity to refuse if she wanted to.

"Grandma, you hear that? Could Mr. Jim teach me?"

"If you don't mind, Jim, it's very kind of you. Beverly would love it. You and Rafael could come tomorrow afternoon for her lesson and then stay for dinner. That way Rafael could see some of the documents that Beverly's mother entrusted me with." She looked a question at them.

"Well now, Felicia, that's mighty nice of you. Jim and I seldom get a home cooked meal when we travel. We'd love to come, wouldn't we, Jim? I'd love to have a look at those documents too. Thank you, Felicia."

"Well, with that all settled let's get to foraging." She led the way out, locked the door, put up the security shield, and they got in the flitter. It was a pretty little vehicle, roomier inside than it looked from the outside, with plenty of room in the back for the basket, Leonard's med kit, their two foraging side packs, and the backpacks.

Their flight to the foothills was not long. Jim looked down and saw a parking area with two other vehicles already there. Felicia did a short fly by around the area, which was a beautiful forested area high up, with tundra lower down, then parked. "We don't have public parks on Caldos yet," she explained, "but the governor, who also chairs the recreation committee, is working on changing that. I'm on that committee too. The governor wanted a medical practitioner on the committee, to attest to the importance of outdoor recreation for the mental health of the evacuee population." She looked at Leonard. "We, all of us here on Caldos II, are in need of that grounding, that reconnection with nature after our collective trauma. As you know, Leonard, there is scientific data proving that connecting with nature provides healing in body and mind."

Leonard nodded. "Jim and I have found it so," he agreed. "We've enjoyed our time in Yosemite and we've camped close to where the giant sequoias and giant redwoods are in California on Earth. Quite a sight they are, aren't they Jim."

"They sure are, they're amazing. The giant redwoods and sequoias are the Earth's largest trees. Hope you and your grandmother can see them sometime, Beverly. They're really something special."

Felicia fiddled with her comm. "Before we get started, Rafael, Jim, I just sent to your comms some information I think you'll find useful. When Beverly and I started foraging I did quite a bit of research, comparing the plants here with those from Earth. Since Arvada III was settled by Earth colonists, all the foraging plants there were planted a couple of hundred years ago. Such was not the case here, but because Caldos II is very much like Earth in climate, sunshine, and temperature, the natural flora and fauna that grow here are almost identical analogs to Earth's plants. I have included the holos, but not bothered with the Latin names from ancient days."

"Good to know," Leonard said peering at his comm. "I do recognize the similarity to Earth's plants."

"I see that too," Jim agreed. "It will make foraging a lot easier."

"You should have no problem recognizing the specimens I've sent you. Shall we begin? If you'd like, we can start together, then split up to find more plants. I brought two extra specimen bags for you and Jim, Leonard."

"Thank you...I'm raring to get started."

They began climbing the hill. It was steep just as Felicia had said, and Jim was happy that he and Bones were in good shape as they climbed. The terrains was rocky and Jim looked up to see the greenery and tree line higher up. That's where the plants would be. They continued to climb until Felicia stopped.

"Here is where Beverly and I usually begin. We've had some rain up here so we should see some new tender shoots. Keep your eyes down, and if you think you see something, compare it to the holos on your padd."

Jim and Leonard followed her lead, and the four of them spread out to cover more ground. Sure enough Leonard was the first to find something. His keen surgeon's eyes, trained to see the most minute change in a human or alien body saw some shoots.

"Felicia, I found some spruce tips," he called out. The others came over and squatted to see.

Felicia grinned. "Excellent, Rafael. Good eyes," she said. "Spruce tips are good for the skin, they're antimicrobial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory, they're excellent for first aid needs like cuts, scrapes, etc." She knelt. "There's a small pointed clipper in your kit. You use it to clip the shoot, put it in the glacine envelope and store it flat in your kit. When we get home Beverly and I dry or freeze what we find."

Soon they were on the hunt again. They spread out to different areas. In no time, Jim found some wild chamomile, which Beverly informed him was good for stomach aches.

"Grandma said she gave me some in a bottle when I was a baby," she confided in Jim. She stuck by him for a while and found some chickweed. As she bent to nip the leaves, she told him it was for skin diseases and infections, and to Jim's amusement rattled off all its uses.

"You're really good at this, Beverly. You would make a fine doctor like all the McCoy women." He cast a side glance at the child to see how she would take his remark.

"Maybe," was her noncommittal response, so Jim dropped it.

They continued their foraging, finding wild roses and rosebuds, cranberry leaves with barely there fruit, wild Labrador tea leaves, and fireweed, all which Felicia vetted and approved. The sun was creeping closer to noon, when Jim called out to Leonard. "Uncle Rafael, my back is getting tired from bending, let's take a break."

"Good idea, Jim. I'm thirsty and hungry. Let's go get our basket of snacks. Beverly, Felicia," Leonard called out, "Jim and I are takin' a break. We'll bring our basket of snacks. Why don't you ladies find a shady place to rest and eat."

Felicia turned to answer and suddenly one of her booted feet went out from under her. She yelped and started sliding down the hill side, pebbles and small rocks coming down with her, unable to stop herself, until she reached the bottom of the hill. The three of them, shocked at her sudden fall, could see that Felicia was not moving.

"Grandma!" Screamed Beverly. "Grandma!" She started running down the hill, dislodging more pebbles as she ran.

"Beverly!" Jim yelled. "Be careful, don't move her. We're coming!"

The two men ran, sliding and slipping down the hill until they reached Felicia. Beverly was at her side, pale as death, clutching her grandmother's hand.

"Let me see, Beverly," Leonard looked over at Jim who picked Beverly up off the ground and sat with her squirming in his lap.

"Let Uncle Rafael examine your grandmother, Beverly," Jim told her keeping her firmly in his lap. "Remember he's a doctor, he knows what he's doing."

"I need my Med Kit. Beverly, you run down and get it from the flitter."

The child scrambled off Jim's lap and ran."

leonard ran gentle hands all over Felicia. "Broken leg and arm, slight concussionJim. We need to call their emergency service. Don't want to move her until she's stabilized."

Jim nodded and opened his comm to call for help.


	10. Chapter 10

**Time is the** **Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 10**

" **You never know ahead of time what something's really going to be like."**

 **Katherine Paterson**

 **Bridge to Terabithia**

Leonard knelt by Felicia and opened her hoodie. Very carefully, so as not to disturb the broken arm, he pulled it off, first from the uninjured arm, then holding the injured arm immobile, he pulled it completely off. Under the hoodie, she was wearing a short sleeve t-shirt which was a blessing. With gentle, probing fingers he felt down the bare arm, definitely feeling the two pieces of the broken bone. "Clean break of the ulna," he told Jim. "Nothing else feels like. A couple of sessions on an osteo regenerator should fix it, but with a clean break like this, it's best to immobilize it for a day or two afterward so the bone heals completely."

He palpated the bent leg over Felicia's jeans, not wanting to disturb the leg further by pulling off her snug jeans. "The leg also feels like a clean fracture, so same prognosis with the osteo regenerator." Leonard spread the warm hoodie over Felicia's torso to keep her warm.

His comm still held to his ear, Jim held up a hand to stop Leonard's flow of words. "You have our coordinates now? Yes, thank you, we'll wait for the air ambulance. Dr. Howard is still unconscious. My uncle, who's a retired surgeon, has a med kit with him and is checking her vitals."

Jim closed his comm. "The air ambulance is on its way, Bones. How is she?"

They both turned hearing Beverly running back towards them, Leonard's medical bag in her hands. "Here, Dr. Davis, I ran all the way there and back." She thrust the bag at him, then bent forward breathing heavily.

"Thanks, Beverly. Sit down here by your grandmother, sweetheart, catch your breath. The air ambulance is on the way. I'm going to give her somethin' for pain, and somethin' to help wake her up. We won't do more, let the hospital take care of the rest. You can hold her hand, Beverly. That arm," he pointed, "isn't broken."

Beverly picked up her grandmothers hand and held it gently. "Is she going to be alright?" the child asked anxiously.

"Yep, right as rain." Leonard ran his tricorder over Felicia to confirm his diagnosis and nodded, satisfied. There was nothing else wrong with her. He pulled out a hypo and a cartridge with a red cap, the universal code for pain medication. He checked it carefully, this newer derivative of Hydrocortilene. It was two steps more advanced than anything he had back on the ship in his store of pain medications. Leonard had carefully vetted everything in his med bag as soon as the agents had given it to him filled with all the appropriate era medications in it. As was his custom, since traveling with Jim Kirk meant he had to be prepared for anything, he had familiarized himself thoroughly with the contents

He injected the hypo into Felicia's carotid artery so the pain medication would act quickly. He pulled out another cartridge with the newest triox medication, tricordrazine. It was a potent stimulant and would help her regain consciousness. He injected that into her carotid artery as well. Thank God, the delivery hypos had remained almost exactly like those in his own time, you really couldn't improve on them.

Felicia moaned softly and opened her eyes. She looked up at Beverly and then at Leonard. "Rafael...what...happened?"

"I'm afraid you took a bad tumble, Felicia. Broke a couple of bones," Leonard explained succinctly.

Her eyes turned to Beverly. "Beverly, sweetheart, are you alright?"

Beverly nodded, but her blue eyes suddenly filled with tears and a sob escaped her.

"Shhh, don't cry, it's alright, Beverly, your grandmother is going to be fine. She broke a couple of bones, but it's nothing we cain't fix," Leonard soothed the distraught little girl.

Felicia tightened her grasp reassuringly on the small hand. "I'll be fine, Beverly. Don't you worry about me, baby. Broken bones are easily fixed."

Jim crouched on his heels beside the child. "It's true, Beverly. I've had a couple of broken bones myself, and I'm good as new. Uncle Rafael fixed me up perfectly."

"Clean breaks of the ulna of your left arm, and of the fibula of your left leg," Leonard reported clinically to Felicia, doctor to doctor. "Looks like you came all the way down the hill on your left side, but your jeans and hoodie protected you from being scraped raw. Emergency air rescue is already on the way," he assured her.

Felicia sighed. "I stepped on some loose pebbles and my leg slid right out from under me. I tried to stop myself, but I couldn't. Then my head hit something and that's the last I knew.

"Could've been a lot worse," Leonard murmured. "You have a very mild concussion."

"I have a hard head," she smiled wanly up at him.

They all looked up hearing the air ambulance. It set down a short distance away from them. The shuttle doors opened and two uniformed EMTs hopped out, running toward them with medical bags and a collapsed hover stretcher.

"Dr. Howard," one of them said, "Glad to see you conscious. Looks like you had a bad fall. We'll fix you up to get you ready for transport."

"Francisco Gayda, Tamara Silver, this is Dr. Rafael Davis, and his nephew James Davis. Dr. Davis has already done some first aid on me. He can fill you in."

Leonard gave them his report and the meds he'd given Felicia, assuring them he was a licensed surgeon and physician back on Earth. "I didn't have anythin' with me to stabilize her arm or leg, so thought I'd best leave that to you."

"We'll stabilize the bones, Doctor Davis, and then transport her to our hospital. It's small, but very well equipped thanks to Federation medical consultants who set it up. The three doctors here on Caldos take turns staffing it, and we have two very good PA's on staff. Good thing you were here to help Dr. Howard. If you'd like you can follow us in your flitter. I'm sorry but it's against our regs to transport family members in the rescue ambulance."

"We understand," Jim assured her. "We'll follow you."

"Felicia, don't you be worrin' yourself about Beverly. Jim and I will stay with her as long as necessary."

"Thank you, Rafael."

"Alright, Dr. Howard, stay very still, we're putting the stasis casts on your arm and leg. We'll try not to hurt you."

"Don't worry, Francisco, I'm on the good stuff, thanks to Dr. Davis," Felicia smiled wanly up at him.

The medic brought out the portable stasis generator, felt gently at the arm and leg until he found the two breaks, then turned on the machine. Immediately, with a faint hum, the leg was immobilized first and then the arm. The stasis casts were now in place and would stay immobile until released by the machine. Tamara then opened the hover stretcher. The two medics gently placed Felicia on it and strapped her in securely.

"Our flitter is parked down below," Jim told them. "Will you give me the coordinates to the hospital and we'll be there as soon as possible."

"I'll go ahead and put her in the ambulance," Francisco said. "Tamara will give you directions to the hospital."

"Come on, Beverly," Leonard ordered. "Let's get in the flitter."

Jim gave his comm to Tamara and she put in the hospital coordinates. "Mr. Davis, I didn't want to say anything in front of Beverly, but I think Dr. Howard will have to spend the night. I'm sure the doctor who sees her will want to monitor her concussion, and she'll have to have several bouts on the osteo regenerator for those fractures. Afterward, she'll have to stay off that leg for at least two days for it to fully heal." There was a worried frown on her face. "I don't know if there is someone available to take care for Beverly."

"Don't worry about Beverly, Ms. Silver, Dr. Davis and I are distant family members. We won't leave Beverly alone. If necessary we'll take her to our hotel, maybe Solange Fane would be willing to help out. She's a patient of Dr. Howard's."

Tamara laughed "Most of us are her patients, unless you're a kid, or need surgery. Talk it over with Dr. Howard. Maybe Beverly could just spend tonight in Dr. Howard's hospital room. I'm sure they have cots or recliners for family members."

Jim nodded. "My uncle and I will speak with Dr. Howard, see what she'd like for us to do. Thank you for your help, and we'll be right behind you." He smiled his sweetest smile at her and she blinked under the wattage of that smile.

Tamara nodded and ran to the waiting ambulance. Jim hurried to the flitter where Beverly and Bones were already strapped in. He got in and took a quick survey of the controls. They looked like basic shuttle controls, nothing too advanced. Unfortunately, he had only glanced at the controls when they'd first boarded the flitter, but it looked as if Felicia had purchased a simple model without bells and whistles. Jim prided himself on being an excellent pilot, able to fly anything he could get his hands on, but he'd been a little concerned that this future vehicle would have unknown piloting configurations.

He turned back to Bones and Beverly. "I got the coordinates for the hospital from the medic; we'll be there in a few minutes." He put in the navigation coordinates into the flight computer, because apparently there was no air control on Caldos II. The population of the town must be too small to need flight controllers directing the air traffic.

Jim took off slowly, getting the feel of the small vehicle. In the distance, he could see the air ambulance in front of them. "Look ahead, Beverly, there's the ambulance. We're right behind your grandmother."

In the back seat, Jim could hear Leonard murmuring, consoling the little girl. "I want you stop worrying, Beverly, your grandmother is gonna' be just fine, I promise,"

The hospital, a plain, square, spare building, came into sight below them. The air ambulance was not visible and had obviously already descended. Jim circled the area looking for the public parking. "There, Mr. Jim," Beverly pointed. "That's where people park."

It took Jim a few minutes to come down, park the flitter safely and lock it. They hurried through the ER doors and waited impatiently for someone to attend them. A nurse came in from the hallway and smiled at Beverly as she greeted them. "Your grandmother is in room 2, Beverly. The surgeon was waiting for her and he's already examined her. Dr. Tovar had to get back to his office, but said Dr. Howard will be just fine. We've started her on the osteo regenerator for her arm fracture. Would you like to go in and stay with her during her session?"

Beverly nodded and grabbed Jim's hand. The nurse noticed and smiled. "Dr. Howard said to let the three of you in. She's waiting for you. Please come this way." She led them down the hall to the ward section. "I'm Lucia Stedman, the nurse assigned to Dr. Howard," she told the two men. "I know Dr. Howard and Beverly very well. We'll take good care of her." She opened the door to Felicia's room and left them.

Felicia was in the bio bed with the osteo regenerator strapped to her arm. Leonard saw that her leg was on top of the hospital blanket and still in stasis. "Grandma," Beverly wailed and promptly threw herself across the bed to hug her. In spite of her misery, she was still careful of Felicia's arm.

Felicia brought up her good arm and held the child close. "Beverly, dear. It's alright, darling. I'm going to be fine, I promise you. Don't cry, baby."

Beverly raised tear drenched eyes. "Really, grandma? I was so scared!"

"Really, sweetheart." Across the child's head, her eyes met Leonard's in mute appeal.

"Beverly, your grandmother is gonna' be just fine. Remember, I'm a doctor too, so I know these things. Her leg and arm will be good as new in a couple of days. Now then young lady, that's two doctors and the paramedics who've told you the same thing, so no more tears."

Beverly sniffed deeply. "Okay, Dr. Rafael. I won't cry anymore."

Felicia looked up at the two men. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to spend the night. This arm is going to take some time on the osteo regenerator and then they'll start on my leg. It will take two full sessions for each fracture so I asked Dr. Tovar to try to finish it tonight. I also have to stay off the leg for 24 hours afterward, and then put on a walking cast for another 48 hours. At my age, bones don't mend as quickly as younger bones do."

"Grandma, where am I going to sleep?" Beverly's eyes were huge. "I don't want to sleep all alone in the house!" Her big blue eyes began to fill with tears again.

"Of course not, Beverly! I would never let you stay in the house alone. I've already requested a cot for you so you can sleep right here with me. You're going to need night clothes, your toothbrush, a hair brush, and some clothes for tomorrow. I will also. Rafael, I hate to trouble you, but would you and Jim mind going to the house and getting those things for us? I'll make a list and tell you where everything is."

"Of course, Felicia we'll be glad to do that for you, anythin' you need. But are you sure you don't want a woman friend to do it?"

"Rafael," Felicia teased. "And you a doctor. I'm sure you've seen many women's underclothes and night wear before."

Leonard blushed and Jim laughed outright. "Of course he has, Felicia. It's just the southern gentleman coming out in him."

"Harrumph," Leonard frowned at Jim. "That's the way my mama raised me, young man, to be a gentleman, and yours did too for that matter."

Beverly was giggling now and the three adults shared glances of relief.

"Beverly dear, would you like to go with Dr. Rafael and Mr. Jim to help find our things? It would be faster that way, but only if you want to go, dear."

Jim looked at the dubious little face. "We could also bring your chess set, Beverly, and I could give you a lesson. Uncle Rafael and I don't mind staying here for a while with you. After we bring your things, we could go to the hospital cafeteria, eat lunch and play a game of chess. What do you think of my idea?"

"Will you be alright if I go with Mr. Jim and Dr. Rafael just for a little while, grandma?"

"Of course I will. I'm going to lay on this bed with the osteo regenerator...I'm not moving, and Lucia will check on me while you're gone. Hand me my comm, Beverly, and I'll make a list for Doctor Rafael and Mr. Jim. It's just clothes and toiletries for tonight and tomorrow." She made some quick notes and sent them to both men.

Jim looked down at his comm. "Got it. We'll be back as soon as we can."

"Take your time, I'm not going anywhere. I'll have someone bring in your cot while you're gone, Beverly, sheets and a blanket too. It gets chilly in these rooms at night."

They hurried to the flitter. The house was fairly close to the hospital so their flight was quick. "Can I park in front of the house for a few minutes, Beverly?" Jim asked.

"It's okay. The patrol won't ticket you if it's just for a little while."

"We better take your foraging bags inside and put away the plants," Jim said, "but we'll leave the basket with the snacks with you so you and your grandmother can eat them later. Can you get everything by yourself or do you need help?"

Beverly put in the security code. "I can do it, if you'll get a duffle down for me from the hall closet. Dr. Rafael, could you please help me with the high up things?"

Jim handed Beverly his comm with Felicia's list and he took the foraged plant bags to the kitchen. He looked around and saw that although the kitchen was small, it was very tidy and filled with light from the two windows that faced the back yard. He placed the bags on the counter and quickly unpacked them. The plants and herbs in the glassine bags he put in the cooling unit, then he checked that the back door and windows were secure. Although Caldos seemed a peaceful and law abiding place, and even with the security shield engaged, vandalism and break-ins were still possible when it became known that no one was at home.

"My chess set is there on the table, Mr. Jim, if you'd grab it for me," Beverly called from one of the bedrooms.

Leonard and Beverly soon came in with the packed duffel and Leonard handed Jim back his comm. "We're ready to go, Jim." Beverly engaged the security shield code and they left the house quickly.

When they entered Felicia's room, she opened her eyes and her face brightened. Leonard raised an impressed eyebrow when he saw Beverly's sleeping cot was there already, made up with sheets, a blanket and a small pillow.

"Rank has its privileges," she smiled. "I'm on my off hour from the osteo regenerator, so why don't the three of you go eat lunch and I'll take a nap. You know, Rafael, that these regenerators make you very sleepy."

"Yeah, they do, and I am getting hungry."

"I could eat," Jim agreed.

Beverly placed the duffle on the cot. "I'm hungry too. Shall I bring you something to eat, grandma?"

"No, dear, I'm fine. I just want to take a nap. My next session with the osteo regenerator is scheduled for early this afternoon." She shifted restlessly. "Rafael, could you stay a moment?"

"Of course. Jim, Beverly, you all go on, I'll meet you in the cafeteria in a few minutes" Jim glanced at him, nodded, and led Beverly out of the room.

"What's troubling you, Felicia?" Leonard's keen doctor's eye took in her worried expression.

"I'm concerned about my patients, Rafael. Would it be possible for you to be at my office early Monday morning to tell Robert what happened? I'd comm him, but he and his girlfriend are on a hiking trip, and I hate to spoil his trip by worrying him. If you would please tell him we'll have to close the office for a couple of days. He'll have to notify my appointments for Monday afternoon and Tuesday and reschedule them. I have no appointments Monday mornings, that's when I do all my lab work."

At Leonard's surprised look, Felicia explained. "We three doctors here on Caldos do all of our own routine lab work. There's no lab here yet. For the more advanced labs, we send tissue and blood samples off planet. Anyway, please tell Robert that any emergency that comes up should be sent directly here to the hospital."

"Of course, Felicia. Robert and I will take care of everything. I'll go there first thing Monday morning. Do you know what time you're being released tomorrow? Jim and I will come to take you and Beverly home."

"Rafael, you don't have to do that! Beverly and I can take a taxi. You've done enough for us, more than enough!"

"Nonsense, there's absolutely no need for a taxi. I insist. Jim and I will get you settled at home and since it's Sunday, I hope you'll let us spend the rest of the day with you to help out. I'll even cook supper. I'm a pretty good cook as Jim can tell you. You need to stay off that leg as much as possible, at least until Monday afternoon. Then you'll need to wear the walking cast. It'll still need another couple of days to heal completely."

"Rafael! I couldn't possibly impose on you and Jim like that."

"Felicia, it's not an imposition at all. After all, we're kin. True, we're distant kin, but we're still family. I'll bring all my Leonard McCoy research to share with you and Beverly, and Jim can give her another chess lesson. They'll both enjoy that. On Monday, Beverly goes back to school and you'll be back on your feet. Jim and I have nothing pressing scheduled. This was a research trip, but also a sort of vacation for us. You promised me a look at those documents Beverly's mother left and you also said that you had some anecdotes about Leonard McCoy to share. Perfect opportunity to record all that information, don't you think so?" He grinned persuasively at Felicia.

Felicia threw up her hands. "Fine," she said. "But after I'm on my feet again, I insist that you and Jim join Beverly and me for a home cooked meal. It's little enough to do as a thank you."

Leonard looked pleased. "We'd be happy to. Unless I cook, Jim and I seldom get a home cooked meal, especially when we're traveling. Thank you, Felicia. Now then, I better go join Jim and Beverly for lunch before Jim sends out a search party. We'll bring Beverly back in a while. Sure you don't want anythin'?"

"I'm sure." She yawned. "I just need a nap," she murmured, her eyes already closing.

Leonard tiptoed out of the room to find the cafeteria. He saw that Jim and Beverly had already set up her chess set on the table and were deep in a discussion of strategy.

"There you are, Uncle Rafael. We were wondering where you were." He looked a question at Leonard.

 _Later_ , Leonard telegraphed back. "Ready to eat, young lady?" He asked Beverly.

She nodded. "How is grandma, Dr. Rafael?" There was still a worried frown on her small forehead.

"Left her napping. She's doing just fine. She'll be right as rain in a couple of days. Now then, stop worrying, young lady, and let's have lunch, and afterward we'll take you back to your grandma's room. Then Jim and I have to be on our way, but we'll be back in the morning to take you home and spend the rest of Sunday with you."

Beverly's small face broke into a delighted smile. "Oh good, I'm glad. It'll be nice to have company. We hardly ever have company; we still don't know too many people here."

Jim smiled at her. "We'll have a good time. Why don't you go through the food line, everything looks good. Take your time, Beverly, and choose whatever you want, including dessert," Jim added. "Uncle Rafael and I will be there in a minute." He waited until Beverly was out of ear shot. "What's going on, Bones? Is everything alright? Are we really spending the day with them tomorrow?"

"Yeah, Jim. I told Felicia we'd be there to help her out, and I'm goin' to her office on Monday morning to tell Robert to close it down for a couple of days. Felicia really can't be alone tomorrow, her leg won't stand up to anything strenuous, and Beverly's too young to take care of her all day. And somehow, and this is just a hunch from somethin' Beverly said, I don't think there's anyone to call on to stay with them, no close friends at least. It looks to me as if it's the two of them against the world." His blue eyes looked at Jim with a hint of worry in them.

Jim patted his arm gently. "Your hunches are usually right, Bones, but just remember that they really haven't been here on Caldos very long. It might be that Felicia's work leaves her very little time for social activities, or for making friends, and what little time she does have she devotes to Beverly. Stop fretting, Bones, we'll be there tomorrow to see that Felicia and Beverly are okay. Also, we have to take advantage of this opportunity. It's been dropped in our laps out of the blue. We'll have a captive audience to talk with Beverly about Leonard McCoy and the medical legacy he left to his female descendants. Hard as this may be, we have to push forward, because our time window to change Beverly's mind is going fast."

"I know you're right." Leonard sighed, "but I feel like such an imposter, like I'm lying to them every minute. I hate this, Jimmy, 'cause I like both of them so much."

"I hate it too, Bones. But let's remember what's at stake here, the entire future existence of our quadrant."

Leonard saw that Beverly had finished filling her tray and was coming back to their table. "We best eat, Jimmy, and then get ourselves back to the hotel. We need to debrief, and I bet those two agents will be waitin' to pounce on us as soon as we get there."

"Yeah, we also have to return Felicia's flitter and pick up our own." Jim sighed. "I have a feeling it's going to be a hell of a long debrief."


	11. Chapter 11

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 11**

" **We're all traveling through time together,**

 **Every day of our lives..."**

 **About Time**

After lunch, another chess strategy lesson from Jim, getting the snack basket out of the flitter, and returning Beverly to her grandmother's room, Leonard and Jim took their leave.

"We'll be back in the morning to take you home, Felicia. Just send Jim or me a message with your actual dismissal time and we'll be here. Jim and I will leave your flitter in the neighborhood parking lot and pick up our own."

"That's fine; Beverly and I aren't going anywhere. I can't thank you enough for all you and Jim have done, Rafael. You and Jim have been wonderful to Beverly and me." Felicia's arm was back on the osteo regenerator, its faint hum adding a counter point to the beeps and chirps of her monitors. "Remember a home cooked meal is in your very near future, just as soon as I'm back on my feet."

"We're looking forward to it," Jim told her. "Home cooked meals are always welcome. My mom is a wonderful cook. When we're home, she spoils us, right Uncle Rafael?"

"That she does. See you tomorrow. Rest, Felicia. Best thing for you."

"Practice your moves, Beverly, and we'll have another game tomorrow," Jim smiled down at the little girl.

"I will Mr. Jim." She came closer and flung her arms around him in a tight hug. "See you tomorrow."

Jim ruffled the red curls, and patted her head. "Bye for now," he said and followed Bones out the door.

Leonard closed the door behind him and elbowed him gently. "Another Jim fan I see," he teased.

Jim's fair skin pinked. "If you weren't disguised under that beard, mustache and gray hair, you'd have your own fans, Bones McCoy."

Leonard grinned. "Well I have had a few admirers now and then, mind you...but just a few."

Jim chuckled. "Ha! More than a few, Bones, more than a few." He flew them straight back to Felicia's neighborhood parking area where they left her flitter tightly locked up, picked up their own and Jim flew them back to the hotel.

Solange Fane was at the front desk. The two men stopped to tell her about Felicia's accident, her broken bones, her stay in the hospital, and their plans for tomorrow. "Please don't worry about the basket," she said, frowning in concern at the news. "Let me see now, tomorrow is taken care of, but for Monday evening I think I'll put together a hamper with food for their dinner. Beverly will be at school, so when she comes home neither of them will have to worry about fixing dinner."

"That's mighty nice of you, Solange, mighty nice." Leonard beamed at her.

"It's the least I can do, Dr. Davis. After all Dr. Howard has done for us here on Caldos, it's little enough."

"Jim and I were wondering if she and Beverly have anyone here to help out. We do know they have no family left, well except for Jim and me, and we're real distant kin through Beverly's side of the family, through her 5 times great grandfather."

"I don't think there's anyone. Those two don't really socialize much, and as far as I know, don't have any close friends yet, and Dr. Howard works long hours. However, all of us here, the ones who do know Dr. Felicia, care a lot about her and Beverly."

"That's good to know," Jim said. "Those two are very special. Solange, could you give me directions to a grocery store? We'll need to shop for groceries in the morning." He handed her his comm.

"Yes, of course. I'll put in the coordinates, it's not far."

"Well, it's been a long day. We'll be down again for dinner, Solange, but I need a good long nap," Leonard announced. "I'm not as young as I used to be."

"I'll reserve your usual table. Have a good nap, Gentlemen."

Once upstairs the two men heaved a simultaneous sigh of relief. "What a day," Leonard said and flopped face up on his bed, Jim did the same on the other bed.

"It was," Jim said. "I'm just happy Felicia is going to be alright. She could have been very badly injured falling down that hill, and what would have happened to Beverly?"

Leonard sat up suddenly. "We would have taken care of her, Jim, wouldn't we? Or found someone to take care of her?"

"Of course we would have. Thank goodness we didn't have to, though. It would have added even more complications to this mission."

Before Leonard could respond, there was a knock on the adjoining door. Leonard groaned. "How'd they know we're already here, Jimmy? Lordy, those two are like ticks on a hog."

Jim laughed out loud. The southern embedded in Bones' DNA always came out when he was irate or angry.

"You gonna' open the door or shall I?" Leonard growled.

"I'll do it...you have that look...that face," Jim said, still amused.

"What face?" Leonard asked indignantly. "There's nothin' wrong with my face. What look, Jim?"

"The look you give Spock when he gets on your last nerve."

"Oh...yeah...that look..." Leonard sat up. "Wellll, these two robots make Spock look like an emotional hack. Spock has more expression in one eyebrow than these two have on their two faces combined."

Jim sighed. It was true; the two agents really were reminiscent of robots, maybe not robots, but at least androids. But not for the world would he give voice to his agreement with Bones. It would only encourage him to grouse even more about the two agents. He smiled to himself as he opened the adjoining door. Spock would find the two agents' lack of emotion 'refreshing'.

Jim sighed once more before he caught himself. Really, he had to stop with the sighing. It was unbecoming in a Starship Captain but he was tired, stressed, worried, and he missed his ship.

None of this showed on his face, however, as he opened the adjoining door. "Gentlemen, please come in. Bones and I were just going to take a nap. We've had a stressful day."

Dulmar's eyes widened in alarm, while Lucsly actually paled. "Captain, what has happened?" Dulmar asked.

"Come sit down and Bones and I will debrief you. It's a long story."

The two agents sat on one bed with Jim and Leonard facing them on the other bed, while they took turns describing the events of the day.

"So you see things could have gone very badly for Felicia. We were all very lucky," Leonard said after they finished the debrief.

Agent Dulmar nodded. "I agree with you, Doctor. It could have ended very badly indeed. However, tomorrow you will have a captive audience in Beverly. Your anecdotes about Leonard McCoy and her seeing how you attended and helped her grandmother will go a long way toward changing her mind. Also your and the Captain's attentions, help, and kindness, have obviously impressed young Beverly and her grandmother."

"That's not why we did it, you...you...," Leonard sputtered. Words completely failing him, he was so angry.

"Bones...," Jim interjected warningly,

Leonard took a deep breath obviously trying to calm himself. The redness of his face receded slightly as he breathed deeply. "That's not why we did it. We did it because Jimmy and I are decent human beings and those two needed our help."

The two agents looked at him without expression. "Of course, Doctor," Lucsly said. "You compassion and kindness were two of your attributes that convinced us to approach you for this mission. Else we would have had to go another route."

"What other route?" Jim asked, not at all liking what he was hearing. His protective instincts for Beverly and Felicia reared instantly.

"I'm afraid we cannot say," Dulmar answered, "but I can tell you the other option would not have been nearly as benign. However, it is a moot point. It was not an option our director was comfortable with, Beverly being a child, thus our assignment to convince you and the Doctor to attempt this mission first. The other option remains in abeyance, however."

"Now listen here! You keep your and your director's paws away from that child, or I won't answer for what I might do. Jim and I are doin' just fine on this mission. You just keep out of our hair. Now get out. I've had enough of the two of you!" Leonard flung open the connecting door and stood there rigidly waiting for the two agents to leave.

Jim came to stand beside him ready to intervene, because an angry Bones was an impulsive Bones.

"We'll leave you, Doctor, Captain, but I will remind you what is at stake here, and that you two have the fate of the Alpha Quadrant in your hands. Agent Lucsly and I are on your side, as is our director. We expect and have confidence that your mission will succeed." They left the room and Leonard slammed the door closed and locked it.

"Bones," Jim said. "We are going to succeed with Beverly. There will not be that Director's plan B or any another plan for Beverly. We won't allow it. I have complete confidence in our abilities to convince her that choosing medicine is the way to go. Please stop worrying," he said, pulling off his pants and flannel shirt. He pulled the bedspread back and slipped in wearing only his briefs and black T-shirt. "Let's nap for a while and then we'll have an early dinner, come back to the room, have a night cap and get to bed early. Tomorrow will be another long day."

"Yeah, it will and a nap sounds great, Jim, and I'll try to stop worryin'." Leonard set his comm alarm for one hour, placed it on the lamp table, then stripped and settled into bed with a contented sigh. He glanced at Jim and saw that he was already asleep. Jim could do that, sleep at the drop of a hat. Came with being a Captain, he supposed. You slept when the opportunity arose, not knowing if there was going to be another one in the near future. He could usually do that too, it also came with being a doctor, but he was restless and anxious as he closed his eyes, hoping sleep would overtake him.

—-

The comm beeped softly and Leonard opened his eyes reluctantly. "Jim," he rumbled sleepily. "Time to wake up."

Jim opened his hazel eyes and glanced out the window. The Caldos sun was low on the horizon, so it was still early morning. He yawned, but he was no longer tired. Yesterday's nap and an early night had refreshed him. He and Bones had had a relaxing dinner, gone for a walk around the beautiful grounds, had their night cap, and gone to bed at a decent hour.

"I'm going to shower, Bones." He stretched. "It's nice to have a real water shower and not just a sonic shower."

"You go on first." Leonard checked his comm, nodded to himself, then went to the adjoining door and knocked loudly. After a few minutes Agent Lucsly answered the door dressed in pressed and pristine navy blue striped pajamas. "Doctor, how may I help you?"

"I need two sets of paper photographs of the holos of Leonard McCoy and his female physician descendants up to and including Beverly's mother that you showed us, and I need them as soon as possible," he told Lucsly. "Can you do that for me?"

Lucsly nodded. "We can. By what time do you need the photographs?"

"Jim and I are going down to breakfast in a little while. Felicia is being released at 11 a.m. so we're goin' to go pick them up at the hospital and take them home. We'll stay the rest of the day and evening to help out. Can you have the photos by the time we leave?"

"We can. Agent Dulmar and I will begin immediately and have them ready for you."

Leonard heard the bathroom door open and Jim stepped into the room dressed only in his black briefs, towel drying his hair.

Lucsly inclined his head. "Good morning, Captain. Until later, Dr. McCoy," he stepped back and closed the door.

"What was that about, Bones?" Jim pulled out a light weight sweater, socks and his brown cords from the dresser drawer.

Leonard grabbed his own clothes. ""I'll tell you at breakfast, just an idea I had. Felicia commed. Her dismissal is at 11 am. Told her we'd be there in plenty of time." He stopped on the way to the bathroom. "Jim, will you check my beard and mustache? Do they still look natural?"

Jim looked closely at Bones' face and his gray hair. "Everything looks good. Geoffrey and Christine did a great job."

"Yeah, they did. Glad I don't need a touch up," he said stepping into the bathroom to shower.

They went down to the dining room which was filled to capacity, but their usual table was waiting for them. Jim smiled when he saw the reserved sign on it. Solange Fane was being very attentive to their needs. Laura, their usual waitress came over. "Good morning," she said cheerfully, pouring coffee into their mugs. "Doctor, Solange told the staff about Dr. Howard's accident. If there is anything we can do, please let us know. We all think the world of Dr. Howard."

"That's very nice of you, Laura. We'll be sure to tell her how the hotel folks care about her," Leonard told her. "The hospital is dismissing her this mornin', so Jim and I are picking them up and taking them home. We'll stay with them the rest of the day. Felicia needs to stay off her leg until tomorrow."

"Uncle Rafael has volunteered to cook dinner for all of us this evening, he's a pretty good cook," Jim smiled up at Laura.

"That's very nice of you, Dr. Davis. I'm sure they'll enjoy your cooking. Now then, what I can I get you for you gentlemen this morning?"

They ordered their breakfast, then making sure they were not overheard, Leonard told Jim about the copies of the holos he'd requested from the agents. "I thought if Beverly could actually see pictures of the real women who were her ancestors and who chose medicine as a career, it would make more of an impact on her."

"That's a great idea, Bones. You know, I wouldn't mind seeing them myself." Jim looked thoughtfully at Bones. "Will it bother you to see Joanna already grown up, and what your granddaughter will look like, and the rest of them too?"

"When I first thought of it, I thought it might, but now I'm thinkin' it won't. I know Joanna will be a beautiful woman." Jim nodded at that, because Joanna was an adorable child, all dark curls, rosy cheeks and bright blue eyes like her father.

"I know so will my future granddaughter, and all of them really, Jim, but except for Joanna, they're more like dream children really, not an actual reality to me. Even with the pictures, they're gonna' be very unreal to me."

"I can understand that. The future is a closed book to us, and that's as it should be. If humanity could see the future, we'd never get out of our chairs. I'm happy you see it that way, Bones."

The rest of breakfast was spent in desultory conversation. Careful not to be overheard, Jim wondered how his beloved ship was faring without him, Bones did the same about his Sick Bay, thinking about Christine, and Geoffrey, who was acting CMO in his absence. They talked about Peter and Winona, about Joanna, about plans for their next shore leave. Talking of home and ship was a way to stay grounded about their real lives, connected to their shipmates and families. It was disorienting to say the least that in effect, they were living two lives simultaneously.

They finished breakfast and went upstairs. Leonard knocked on their adjoining door and Agent Dulmar answered.

"Doctor, Captain, please come in." It was the first time that Jim and Leonard had been invited into the agents' room. Both men looked around. The beds had been made and there was nothing visible on the lamp tables or dresser. It looked as if no one was occupying the room at all. "Par for the course," Leonard muttered under his breath.

However, on one of the beds were several sheets of what looked like photographic paper with images imprinted on them. Lucsly was arranging them on the bed. "Captain, Doctor, here are the photographic representations of your descendants and Beverly's ancestors. I have placed them in order for you." In order of age, Jim and Leonard saw a very young Dr. Leonard McCoy, the picture probably taken from when he first started medical school. Then by age, and in various background settings, Dr. Joanna McCoy-DeSoto, Dr. Leonora McCoy Ritter, Dr. Savanna McCoy Russell, and last, Dr. Eleanora Susanna McCoy Howard, who was Beverly's mother. She looked very young in the photograph, probably like Leonard's photograph it had been taken when she entered medical school. Eleanora Howard and Beverly's father had died young, when Beverly had been just a toddler, so she must not have any actual recollection of her mother. Maybe the photograph would mean a lot to the child. Leonard hoped so.

"There are two sets of photographs, Doctor. One for you and one for Beverly. We thought it would seem more appropriate for you to have the originals in your possession."

"You guys think of everythin' don't you?"

"It's our responsibility as DTI Agents to try to account for all eventualities."

"You do a good job, of it," Jim interjected, before Bones could say anything sarcastic.

"Thank you, Captain, we try very hard to take into account unforeseen circumstances and sudden needs during a mission."

"We better get going. We have to shop for what you'll need to make our dinner, and we have to be at the hospital by 11 am."

"Yeah, you're right, Jim. Thanks for remindin' me about the shoppin'."

"We'll see you later tonight for our usual debrief. It may be a little later than usual because Bones and I want to get Felicia and Beverly settled and in bed before we leave or Felicia might be tempted to overdo it. Beverly will go to school in the morning, and Bones is going to Felicia's office early to have her assistant cancel her appointments for Monday afternoon and Tuesday. Felicia will be resume work on Wednesday. We plan to spend at least part of Monday and probably Tuesday with the two of them."

"Then it would behoove you and the doctor to advance as much as possible with this mission in the next two days. Perhaps think of a way to make Miss Beverly realize the importance and prestige of being a Starfleet physician."

"Now you just wait a minute here, you..."

Jim hurriedly pulled Leonard through the door. "Gotta go, now. Come on, Bones, or we'll be late." He slammed the door behind them.

"Jim! They're doin' it again, trying to tell us how to conduct this mission," Leonard looked at Jim, his blue eyes angry.

"Bones, they are in charge of this mission. After all we have to remember it's their job, and the stakes for everyone in the quadrant are enormous. You have to expect them to keep their fingers on the pulse of our mission, on what and how we're doing. If it was me, I'd be doing the same thing. Why are you resenting them so much?"

Leonard looked at Jim, saw the warm concern on his face and drew his hand down over his face. "I don't know, Jim. I guess it's because Joanna is a part of this. I'm scared to death that we might not succeed, that Beverly won't change her mind, that no matter what we do, it won't be enough."

"Bones, stop that! We can't afford to think negatively. Too much is riding on us, on you mostly, but we're in this together. As your Captain, I can tell you that I think our mission is going well, very well actually. Today and this evening, we'll have another great opportunity to connect with Beverly. We really haven't had a conversation with her about her wanting to become an engineer. Maybe it's not as entrenched as the agents seem to think. Children that age change their minds pretty often about career choices. Look at Peter, he changes his mind every other month."

"I never did," Leonard told him. "I always wanted to be a doctor just like my daddy. From my earliest memories, that's what I wanted to be."

"Has Joanna expressed any desire to follow in your footsteps?"

"Not so far," Leonard admitted. "But she's younger than Beverly, so she may in a couple of years."

"So there you are. Here are four different examples of how a child tries to make a career choice. You, who knew from the beginning what you wanted to do, Beverly, waffling between two choices, Peter changing his mind frequently, and Joanna not even interested in a career choice right now. We'll continue with what we're doing, showing Beverly the way to her career path, what she was born for. And I want you to stop being so belligerent to the agents. They're here to help us."

"I'll try, Jim, but those two just rub me the wrong way."

They headed down to the foyer, waved goodbye to Eric Fane, who was at the desk, and walked quickly to their shuttle. Jim put in the coordinates Solange had given him. "What are you cooking, Bones?"

"Nothin' complicated...somethin' we'll all like, including Beverly, I'm sure. Something Southern maybe. ill see whats available at the stire."

"Home cooked food. Always a sure fire hit with kids and Starship Captains too," Jim said, and clasped Leonard affectionally on the back.

"As long it's on your plate and it's edible you always like it, Jim Kirk."

"True, very true," Jim said, not bothering to deny the truth, as he set the shuttle down in the hospital parking lot. It was also true that he was spoiled by his mother's fine cooking, but he'd learned long ago, as a lowly Ensign, to eat what was put in front of him, because sometimes on a mission you didn't know when you'd get your next meal.

Leonard checked his chronometer." Right on time. Felicia should be dismissed just about now."

Leonard was correct. Felicia and Beverly were dressed and ready to go when he and Jim got to the room. The two men were greeted with big smiles.

"We're ready to go, Mr. Jim, Dr. Davis," Beverly announced.

"Wellll, then," Leonard drawled. "Let's get goin', young lady."


	12. Chapter 12

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 12**

" **I** **sit beside the fire and think**

 **Of people long ago**

 **And people that will see a world**

 **That I shall never know**

 **But all the while I sit and think**

 **Of times there were before**

 **I listen for returning feet**

 **And voices at the door"**

 **― J.R.R. Tolkien**

Felicia hobbled out of the hospital on her crutches, bidding the staff a warm goodbye. Leonard kept a sharp eye on her progress, since she didn't look too steady on the crutches yet. A fall was the last thing they needed to contend with, but he kept his hands to himself, resisting the urge to help. Beverly carried her chess set, and Jim carried their two duffles. Once out to the shuttle, Leonard settled Felicia and Beverly in the back seats, making sure they were securely strapped in. Jim turned on the shuttle, lifted it up, and they headed for Felicia's house.

This morning, after eating their early breakfast at the hotel and before heading out to the hospital, Jim and Leonard had entered the hotel lobby to find Laura, their usual waitress, waiting for them. She pressed a large bag into Jim's hands. "Mr. Davis, Solange asked me to give you and the Doctor this. She had the kitchen staff prepare some sandwiches, chips and a fresh fruit salad for your lunch. She added cookies for dessert, too. She thought you'd be pressed for time after Dr. Howard's dismissal from the hospital this morning, and kids are always hungry," she smiled knowingly.

"Well now, that's sure mighty nice of Solange. We'll enjoy the food for sure. Please pass on our thanks, Laura."

"I will, Dr. Davis. Please tell Dr. Howard that we, all of us here, wish her a speedy recovery and if there's anything she needs to let Solange know."

"I sure will, Laura. See y'all later."

Once in the shuttle, Jim had put in the coordinates that Solange had given him for the grocery store and they headed East. "Bones, what did you decide to cook for this evening's dinner? What are we shopping for?"

"Thought I'd cook a real Southern meal for Felicia and Beverly. Baked chicken with almonds and gravy, a big pot of rice, and skillet green beans. How does that sound?"

"Are you kidding me? That sounds fantastic, and you just tell me what you need for me to do to help with dinner, Bones."

"About that, Jim. I was thinkin' that I'd ask Beverly to help me instead. That way she and I'll have a chance to talk while we're preparing dinner. What do you think?"

Jim had nodded his appreciation of the idea. "That's brilliant, Bones. It's a perfect opportunity for you and Beverly to talk."

They had shopped in the small, but well stocked, grocery store, stored everything in the back of the shuttle insulated bags the store had provided and headed to the hospital.

Now, after Felicia's release, and to Leonard relief, Jim was piloting them to her cozy home. Seated in the front with Jim, he turned his head to look back at the two passengers and told them of the care package Solange had sent for lunch. "Jim and I shopped at the grocery store before we came to pick you up, so we're all set for dinner. Beverly, Jim's planned a chess game with you after lunch while your grandmother rests this afternoon. Then I was thinkin' you might like to help me fix dinner for everyone this evening. Does that sound like somethin' you might enjoy doin' with me?"

Beverly nodded and grinned. "I like to cook, Doctor Rafael, I help grandma sometimes, don't I Grandma?"

"Yes, you do, and you're a big help. What's the menu for this evening, Rafael?"

"I've got everythin' stored in the back for baked chicken with almonds and gravy, skillet green beans, blanched then stir fried with sweet onion, garlic, a hint of brown sugar and herbs. Thought I'd make a big mess of rice too. How does that sound to y'all?"

"It sounds amazing! I'm an okay cook, but completely unimaginative. I tend to cook the same things over and over again. Beverly and I are in for a treat."

"So would you like to be my sous chef, Beverly?" Leonard's blue eyes twinkled at the little girl. "It's a very important job."

Her eyes widened. "What do I have to do? Is it hard to be a sous chef, Dr. Rafael?"

From the pilot's seat, Jim laughed. "Don't let Uncle Rafael fool you, Beverly. Sous chef is just a fancy French way of saying you'll be his assistant cook."

"Oh...well then I _will_ be your assistant, Dr. Rafael, I'll be your sous chef." She giggled at her own French pronunciation.

Jim brought the shuttle down and parked the shuttle in front of Felicia's house. He would move it after they got her settled in the house. Leonard helped her to get out of the shuttle, making sure she was steady on her crutches going up the front porch steps.

Felicia's steps were halting, slow and unsure, even with the walking boot and crutches. "I'm not very good with these crutches," she admitted ruefully. Jim, trailing behind with the lunch bag and the two duffles, chuckled. "You should have seen me when I tore a ligament in my knee, Uncle Rafael made me use crutches for several days and I never did get very good using them. It's a lot harder than it looks.

Once they entered the house, Beverly ran ahead to her room. "I'll put everything away, grandma," she called out.

Felicia sighed. "I'm happy to be home. Hospital beds are not very comfortable, are they, Rafael."

"Nope, seems they would find a way to fix that in this day and age. Now then, let's get you settled on the sofa. Rest that leg and arm. Do you need your pain medicine yet?" Leonard fiddled with the cushions and Felicia sat with her back against the sofa arm and stretched her legs out with a relieved sigh.

"Not for another hour, thank you, Rafael. I would like to take off the walking boot, though. It's very uncomfortable and not."

"It is," Leonard agreed, "but it gives that leg a good deal of support, and in case you fall, it will protect the healing bone. If you promise not to move from this sofa, I'll take it off."

Jim hovered close watching Bones in Doctor Mode. Satisfied that Felicia was comfortable and Bones close by, he said, "Why don't I go in the kitchen and unpack the lunch Solange sent us. Felicia, do you have a tray of some sort? She sent sandwiches so I don't think it will be a problem for you to eat here on the sofa."

"There is a serving tray in the cabinet above the stove, Jim. That should work well for just sandwiches. Thank you. I really don't want to get up again."

"Good. I'll bring it to you in a few minutes. After lunch, I think Beverly and I will play a game of chess while you nap."

"Good idea. A quiet afternoon for all of us is just what the doctor ordered," Leonard agreed, "and your doctor said you have to take it easy today and tomorrow, Felicia."

"I will, Rafael. I want to get back on my feet as soon as possible."

Jim brought Felicia's lunch to her on a tray, then he went to join Bones and Beverly at the kitchen table for their own lunch. The sandwiches were delicious. Solange had sent them two kinds, egg salad for Felicia, Bones and Jim, and ham and cheese for Beverly. There were crispy homemade chips, and fresh fruit too.

"This egg salad is fantastic," Leonard commented, "I'll have to get Solange's recipe." He turned to Beverly. "Egg salad is a pretty traditional thing in the south. We southern cooks pride ourselves in making delicious egg salad. Everyone has their own recipe. Which reminds me. I brought you a small gift, Beverly."

"For me?" Beverly's eyes were wide. "But it's not my birthday or Christmas," she said, puzzled.

"Well this is what I call a just because gift, and I sure hope you like what I brought you. It has to do with all my research," Leonard added. "Jim found these, and we immediately thought you might like to have copies, right, Jim?"

Jim nodded. "I know I would if I were you, Beverly. Shall I go get them now, Uncle Rafael?"

"Yes, please Jim," Leonard said, looking at the excited little girl. "I think Beverly will enjoy seeing them. Shall we go sit in the living room so your grandmother can see them too?"

Jim took Felicia's tray off her lap and set it on the floor. The excited Beverly sat on the edge of the sofa by her grandmother and Felicia put an affectionate arm around the child.

Leonard opened his med bag and pulled out the file folder the agents had given him. "I'm gonna' set these on the floor so both of you can see them well. Beverly, these are pictures of all the female descendants of Dr. Leonard McCoy. They're all your direct ancestors, up to and including your own mama. It's real interesting what we found out. All of these women decided to follow in Dr. Leonard McCoy's footsteps and become doctors. They all even kept this name. I'll tell you a little about each of them. Jim and I have had real good luck tracing their lives and their careers in medicine."

Jim knelt and placed each holo copy on the faux wood floor in order, starting with a very young Leonard, and Beverly and her grandmother peered down at them in fascination.

"Leonard, these photographs are amazing! Beverly, how special is this, darling, that Dr. Rafael made these copies for you!"

Jim brought the ottoman in front of the side chair for his "elderly" Uncle Rafael to sit and Jim sad on the floor by him.

Leonard cleared his throat, pointing at the first holo copy of his own Joanna. "You already know a lot about Leonard McCoy, so we'll skip him and go straight to his descendants." He pointed. "This first one is of Dr. Joanna McCoy-DeSoto. Isn't she the prettiest thing? Like her daddy, Dr. Leonard McCoy, she was a Starfleet officer and served on the Starfleet Science vessel, _Huron_. She served with distinction and saved many lives both on and off the ship. Later she was also at Starfleet Medical in San Francisco. Her career was a long one and she received many accolades and commendations for her work."

"She is awfully pretty, isn't she grandma?"

Felicia modded. "She's beautiful"

Leonard smiled to himself, pleased at their tribute to his grownup Joanna.

"This one here is Dr. Leonora McCoy Ritter. She is Dr. Joanna's daughter. According to our research, Dr. Joanna named her daughter after her own daddy, Leonard." He grinned at them. Leonard had been very pleased by that little bit if history. "She was also a Starfleet officer, but her career choice was epidemiology, finding cures for epidemics and such," Leonard explained to the fascinated Beverly. "She is credited with finding the cure for a terrible disease, the Molarus Phage, saving the population on that planet from death and horrible disfigurement."

Felicia's eyes opened wide. "I've heard of that disease, it was mentioned in my medical studies, but I had no idea one of Beverly's ancestors found the cure. That's amazing."

"Dr. Leonora was an amazin' person, that's for sure. She lived to be a great age, and kept workin' til the end of her long life. Now," he pointed again, "we come to Dr. Savanna McCoy Russell. Now she was somethin' else too."

"What did she do?" Beverly asked, wide eyed.

"She has a mighty interestin' history, Beverly. She joined Starfleet too, but instead of servin' on a ship, she went to practice medicine on a frontier planet, real far away from the protection of Starfleet and other Federation worlds. It was a very primitive place there, but the woman was tireless, didn't let anything or anyone stop her from providing good medical care to those first colonists. Jim went to the Starfleet library archives and found out that she established the first hospital on _Archanis_ _IV_ – that was the Federation colony world way out in the Aloha quadrant boonies where she went. The work she did there is a legend at Starfleet Medical." Beverly put a finger out to touch Savanna's photograph. She married another doctor there and they had a daughter.

"And that daughter brings us to our last picture, your own beautiful mother, Beverly. Dr. Eleanora Susanna McCoy Howard. From what Jim found out, your mama was named after Dr. Leonard McCoy's own mama, Ellie McCoy." Beverly's mother looked very young and serious in her photographs, and like Leonard's probably taken when she'd first entered medical school.

"My mom was very pretty, wasn't she grandma?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Your mother was beautiful. Your father fell in love with her from the first moment he saw her. He always told your mother that when her copper hair caught the sunlight, it shone so brightly that it almost blinded him."

Beverly giggled and Felicia laughed. "A bit of an exaggeration on my son's part, if you ask me. He was probably trying to impress her, but they started going out immediately after that, so I think he must have been quite taken with her."

"Your mama was Starfleet too, Beverly, and you already know she was an obstetrician."

Beverly nodded. "She delivered babies."

Leonard nodded. "She and your father stayed on Earth instead of servin' somewhere else or on a ship, because they wanted to start a family. So in due time they had you. You were just a tiny girl, when their accident happened." Leonard looked sadly down at the woman who had lost her life so young, and then at Felicia who had not only lost her daughter in law, but also her son, her only child.

"I don't really remember them," Beverly told Leonard. "But grandma tells me lots of stories about them, so it's almost like I do."

"That's good. Family stories are important to keep in your memory and in your heart too. Treasure all those stories. So there young lady, there you have them, all the women who came before you and who served the Federation and Starfleet. Quite an amazing bunch of ancestors you have there." Leonard didn't say more. He'd let Beverly mull and think about these women for a while. He gathered up the hard copies of the holos and presented them with a flourish to Beverly. "These are for you, sweet pea. Maybe you'd like to frame them one day."

"Thank you, Dr. Rafael. I love these. Can we get them put in frames, grandma, and put them in my room?"

"We certainly will, go put them in your room, these are treasures, sweetie."

When Beverly came back, Jim stood up from the floor and hauled Leonard off the ottoman. "Are you ready for our chess game, Beverly? Ready to learn some killer moves that'll blow your opponents out of the water?"

"Now Jim, there's no need for those types of fierce metaphors. Beverly's opponents are kids, not Cardassians!"

Jim looked at Beverly and they both grinned. They both knew chess was a strategic game of war, even if it was conducted on a board.

"Felicia, lets get you settled in your own bed for your nap. It's also time for your pain medication."

"I have to admit I am a little tired and my leg is starting to ache," Felicia grimaced.

Leonard handed her the crutches. "Just means it's time for you to rest. Even these days, healing bones take a little time."

He followed along side of her to the bedroom and drew back the bedspread for her. "I'll go get your medication."

"Thank you, Leonard. I'll freshen up and get right in bed."

Leonard retrieved Felicia's medication from the living room and saw that Beverly and Jim were already setting up the chess board. He was pleased at how well his photograph idea had gone. Beverly had seemed interested and happy to receive the pictures, and he hoped to peak her interest even more while she helped him prepare dinner.

Felicia was already in her bed when he went back in her room. She had propped her leg up on a pillow and was reclining with a book padd. "Here you are, Felicia, this should help with the ache. After it begins to work you'll be more comfortable and can fall asleep." He handed her the preset hypo and she injected herself.

"Thank you, Leonard." She smiled up at him as she handed him the spent hypo. "Thank you for getting the photographs for Beverly. It's amazing what you've discovered about Dr. McCoy's descendants. To think they were all such accomplished physicians." She paused. "It's been my hope that Beverly would follow in mine and her mother's footsteps. She has a natural affinity for helping others, and she loves anything to do with medicine. We've talked about it often. Recently though, she seems to have lost some of her interest in medicine. She's talked more about engineering instead." She sighed "Whatever makes her happy is what I tell myself, but I must admit to feeling somewhat disappointed."

"Now Felicia, don't worry overmuch. You know how kids are. They change their minds pretty often as their interests come and go. I remember when Jim was a little guy, he wanted to be a chef...and all because I enjoy cooking."

Felicia laughed. "Somehow, I can't see Jim as a chef," she said.

"Me neither, and thank goodness he didn't try it, because he's not a great cook by any means. Now his mama, she's a fine cook, better than me, and I'm pretty damn good. That boy's been spoiled with good food all his life."

Felicia yawned. "I think the pain medication is starting to work," she admitted sleepily.

"I'll let you rest then. Have a good nap. I'll come tell you when dinner is ready," Leonard told her softly. Felicia's eyes were already closed when he dimmed the lights and closed the door gently.

The two chess players were discussing the strategic merits of moving a knight versus a rook, and as Leonard began reading one of his medical journals the discussion faded to a pleasant background murmur. The afternoon waned and when Leonard looked up, he saw that it was time to start dinner.

"Jim, it's time for Beverly and me to start dinner. You wanna' help us?"

"I think I'll pass, Uncle Rafael. Felicia will need help when she wakes up, so I'll just wait here for her. If you need extra help though, just let me know."

"Tell you what, in a little while, why don't you set the table."

"I can do that," Jim said, giving Leonard a meaningful glance. "Beverly, you go on, I'll put away the chess set."

In the kitchen, Leonard unpacked the groceries they'd bought and put everything on the counter. "Let's wash our hands and get out a cutting board, Beverly. We'll use one for the chicken prep and another one for the green beans. That's what good cooks do so the chicken doesn't contaminate the rest of the meal." He smiled at the little girl who was looking dubiously up at him. "Don't worry, we'll go step by step, and I'll tell you exactly what you need to do. That way you'll learn the recipe too, and you and your grandma can enjoy it another time. The chicken is cut up already, so that'll save us some time." **(1)**

While Leonard gave the child her cooking instructions, he also chatted softly, gradually bringing the subject around to the photographs he'd given her. "I'm happy you liked those pictures of your ancestors, Beverly. You come from a long line of distinguished, amazin' women, including your mama, and of course your grandmother on your daddy's side. Have you given some thought about becoming a doctor like your mama and grandmama?" Leonard asked the question softly, casually, as Beverly rinsed and cut the fresh green beans carefully.

"Grandma and I have talked about it, Dr. Rafael, lots of times."

"Have you sweet pea? I bet your grandmother was happy to hear you were thinkin' about becomin' a Doctor."

"She was...but..."

Leonard looked down at the troubled little face and at the now still hands. "Is there somethin' that's troublin' you about what you told your grandma?"

"Well...yes... when I told grandma, she didn't say anything, but I don't think she was to happy about it."

"Not happy about what? What did you tell her?"

Beverly sighed, her small shoulders slumping slightly. "I told her I was thinking of becoming an engineer instead of a doctor."

—-

 **(1)**

 **Southern Style Baked Chicken with Almonds**

 **1** **whole (4-5 pound ) chicken, cut up**

 **Freshly cracked black pepper**

 **1 tablespoon of olive oil**

 **1 cup of thinly sliced onion (about 1 medium)**

 **1 can cream of chicken soup**

 **1 can cream of mushroom soup**

 **1-1/4 cup of chicken stock or broth**

 **1 can of sliced mushrooms**

 **1/2 cup of sliced almonds**

 **Instructions**

 **Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Sprinkle chicken with pepper. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and brown the chicken in batches. Place into a roasting pan. Add the onion to the pan drippings and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the soups and chicken broth until mixture is well combined. Add the mushrooms and almonds; stir to combine. Pour over the chicken and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour. Serve with rice and a green vegetable or garden salad and rolls.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 13**

" **Before you make a decision, ask yourself this question:**

 **will you regret the results or rejoice in them?"**

 **Rob Liano**

Leonard glanced down at Beverly's averted face. Her small hands were now clutching the bowl of green beans so tightly that her knuckles showed white. Her small confession had obviously caused her pain.

Leonard knew he had to tread carefully here. Beverly felt that she had disappointed her grandmother by admitting her interest in Engineering. The child was extremely sensitive and she had intuited that her adored her grandmother hadn't really been pleased by what she'd heard.

"So what did your grandmother say when you told her, Beverly? Did she actually say she was unhappy about your interest in Engineering?"

"Nooo," Beverly said, pulling the strings off the last of the green beans, then began to carefully cut off the tops and tails. She kept her eyes downcast, and her voice was soft and uncertain. "She didn't say anything at all, but her face looked disappointed...and surprised too, I could tell."

"Well, that's to be expected. After all, you and she have only ever talked about medicine as a career for you. I'm sure your sayin' Engineering was an interest too, was a huge surprise to her, don't you think that might've been it?" Leonard washed his hands at the sink and set the water to boil to blanch the green beans. He peeked at the bowl and saw that Beverly had finished with her part of the task.

She nodded. "I really had just been thinking about it, Dr. Rafael, and said so to grandma."

"So what was it that brought Engineering to your mind, darlin'?" Leonard looked at the water. It was ready for the green beans. He handed Beverly a big slotted spoon. "Now what you do now is put the green beans in this slotted spoon, and place them in gently in the water. We'll let them simmer for about two minutes, then put them in ice water immediately afterward until they're completely cooled."

"Why do we do that to the green beans?"

"Well, if we do that first, we get a crunchier texture, a brighter green color, and more delicious flavor so little girls will be happy to eat them," Leonard smiled at her. "Then we'll stir fry them in butter, with a little garlic, a little lemon juice, and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over them. Just wait they're gonna' taste delicious. Jim and your grandmother are gonna' love them." That brought a small smile to the worried little face.

And with that small segue, Leonard carefully brought the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Look, sweat pea, just because you showed some interest in Engineering, doesn't mean that it's set in stone. All it means is that it's somethin' you wanted to investigate, to explore. I'm sure your grandma knows that. At your age, Beverly, it's not unusual to think about many different careers before you make a decision. I think your grandmother probably did that herself. I know I did, and Jim did too. So she would understand that I'm sure."

"Really, Dr. Rafael?" Her big blue eyes were hopeful as she looked up at him. "Do you think _you_ could tell Granma that?" Her voice was soft, diffident, but hopeful as she looked down at her feet.

"Why don't you want to tell her yourself, sweetheart? I bet she'd like to hear it from you that medicine is not really off the table for you, that you're just thinkin' of different career choices." Leonard was silent for a beat. "So why was it that you thought about Engineering after you'd already decided on medicine?" he asked the small bent copper head. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jim stick a cautious head into the kitchen. Leonard looked a warning at him and minutely shook his head. Jim nodded and retreated.

"Well," said the small voice, as she looked up Leonard. "You know the big ships that came to rescue us?"

"I do. They did an outstanding job after the Arvada III moon collision getting all you colonists off the planet."

She nodded. "They were awesome, Dr. Rafael. When we were on the big ship, all the Caldos engineers that were with us talked to us about what they were doing to get Caldos ready for us...they were building roads, houses, schools, a hospital, lots of offices and shops. They planned and built it all for us. They let us pick the kind of house we'd like to live in, and they explained everything they were doing. They told us about the hundreds of workers and Engineers that came from many different worlds to help us settle here on Caldos." She looked up at Leonard, her blue eyes wide and awestruck. "I talked to a couple of them and they told me about their jobs, they told me how they travel to a lot of Federation worlds to lots of different jobs...they build bridges and design buildings and houses and hospitals and schools and churches...," Beverly stopped, running out of breath.

Leonard smiled. "Sounds like a real excitin' job, meeting lots of different beings, going from place to place, never stayin' for long.'Course it'd be hard to make friends that way, or spend time with your family, but it'd be real interestin' travelin' all over the quadrant. Seems to me a person would really have to enjoy traveling a lot too and not like to stay in one place for long. Somethin' to think about, a job like that, that's for sure."

"I hadn't thought of that part," Beverly admitted. "I'd have to be away from grandma a lot, I guess."

"That's true. In that kind of job, it would have to be like that. Your grandma really couldn't be following along after you. She has her medical practice here and Caldos folks need her."

He was silent a minute, letting the child think about that. "Let's look at it another way, Beverly. Do you think your grandma would've been as disappointed if you'd said you were interested in, let's say, being a dancer. "Beverly giggled at that. "Or a lawyer, or maybe a mountain climber, a dog groomer, or a chef like Solange?"

"Yeah, I think she would've been, Dr. Rafael."

"So I'm thinkin' that it's not engineering so much, it's the fact that it's not medicine. I think your grandma feels that like all those McCoy women we talked about earlier, including your own sweet mama, you'd make an amazing doctor. I'd also say the same, sweetheart. I agree with her thinkin', because medicine is in your family DNA. And I mean that in a good way. Because you're so intelligent, so loving and compassionate, that I think your grandmother wants you to choose a career that will challenge you, make you use your brains as well as your heart. One that will make _you_ happy, but will help others too. Just somethin' to think about, right?"

Beverly nodded, her little face pensive. "I will think about it, Dr. Rafael."

"Good, that's all you have to do. Now enough with all this serious talk. Let's get this chicken in the oven, then I'll start the pot of rice, and you can finish the green beans. Then we'll make the gravy. I'll show you how, okay?"

She nodded. "Would it be okay to talk to you or Mr. Jim again? I don't want to worry grandma, especially if she doesn't feel good."

"Of course it would. Mr. Jim and I will be happy to talk with you 'bout all this any time, so stop worryin'."

Jim peeked around the door and this time Leonard beckoned him in. "Hey, Jim. Beverly and I just finished the green beans and puttin' the chicken in to bake. I'm gonna make the rice in a bit and when the chicken is done, the gravy."

"It already smells delicious in here. Thought I'd get started setting the table. Where can I find your dishes, glasses and silverware, Beverly?"

"Everything is in that cabinet up there, Mr. Jim, and here in the drawer," Beverly said, pointing. "I'll help you set the table, if it's okay with Dr. Rafael," she added.

"You go on and help Jim," Leonard told her. "Make sure he does it right." He gave Beverly a wink, and she giggled.

"Hey," Jim mocked bristled. "I know how to set a table, Ma taught me when I was just a little guy. But I'll be glad to have Beverly's company. How much longer until dinner, because while we're waiting I want to teach Beverly a quick chess move...not play a game, just show her a real cut throat move that will annihilate her opponent." Jim too, winked at Beverly, and murmured softly just for Beverly's ears. "Wait for it...wait for it...aaand here it comes."

Leonard turned fierce eyes on his "nephew." Jim! What did I tell you about usin' those types of metaphors with Beverly? It's not seemly, she just a child."

Beverly and Jim laughed. "Gotcha, Uncle Rafael. Knew you'd jump on me right away. Beverly knew it too, didn't you, sweetie."

Beverly nodded gleefully, a big grin on her face.

"See? Beverly knew I was just teasing you."

"Git, the both of you, out, out! Stop bothering' an old man who's tryin' to cook a good meal. Go, go! Leave me in peace in this fine kitchen."

"Come on, Beverly," Jim grabbed the plates and utensils and Beverly got the glasses and napkins. With a Jim smirk aimed Leonard, they went into the dining alcove to set the table.

From the kitchen stove, Leonard could hear Beverly's childish treble and Jim's pleasant tenor as they conversed while setting the table. He felt confident that his conversation with Beverly had gone well. The Engineering career choice was not really a choice yet, more of an interest brought on by a bit of hero worship on Beverly's part for the Engineers who had done so much for the colonists. Leonard mulled over what his next step should be. He and Jim would have to tread carefully. It wouldn't do to come on too strong on the side of medicine. Long ago, psychological research had proven (and Leonard was a very good psychologist if he did say so himself), that children tended to dig in their heels and rebel if there was too much insistence that they follow a certain career path picked out by parents or guardians. They would have to be careful from here on out, perhaps use a tiny bit of reverse psychology with Beverly. Too much insistence on medicine could certainly prove to be counterproductive. A talk with Felicia might also be in order. Felicia had clearly been disappointed when Beverly discussed Engineering with her, so perhaps a little more neutrality on Felicia's part would be advisable. He might suggest that she leave it to Rafael and Jim to talk career choices with Beverly. They were supposedly disinterested parties, and Beverly would certainly not feel the same pressure talking about her possible career choices with Jim and Leonard as she would by talking to her disappointed grandmother. Even worse would be her shutting down from discussing things at all.

The timer rang, and Leonard put on his oven gloves to pull the chicken out. He pulled apart the foil and gazed at it. The chicken looked amazing, beautifully tender, covered with the golden almonds and mushrooms, and the sauce dripping enticingly down the sides. He sighed happily. Leonard love to cook, and he seldom had the opportunity to do so. It satisfied something deep inside him to take the many disparate parts of a recipe and make it into a delicious whole. Feeding people good fresh food was important. He and Winona Kirk had enjoyed many conversations about their love of cooking. He'd let the chicken rest while he cooked the rice. His mama had taught him how to cook rice in 17 minutes and it was a fool proof method that never failed him. He now remembered to cover the green beans that Beverly had stirred fried. The sweet onion, lemon juice, garlic, herbs, and the touch of brown sugar in the green beans would complement the chicken perfectly. They would stay warm until the rice was done. He started the rice, brought it to a simmer, turned off the heat, covered it, turned his timer on and went out to check on Jim and Beverly.

The table had been set and the two were sitting in the floor looking at the chess board. Really, Leonard thought, smiling to himself, sometimes Jim was just one big kid. Spock, Leonard, and the whole crew, mostly forgot just how young he was. Youngest Captain in Fleet history by a long shot. He'd taken a lot of teasing from the other Captains, most of them fifteen to twenty years older than Jim. He'd taken the teasing with his usual good grace, accepting that he would have to prove himself to the other Captains and his crew. And prove himself he had, many times over, so many that Leonard had lost track. By the end of his first year as Captain, he was highly respected and even admired by most of the other Captains, and he was adored by his crew and the public. Jim ignored his admirers, accolades and medals, doing his duty as he saw fit, and always, always doing his very best for his crew.

Both of them looked up as Leonard came in. "Is dinner ready? It sure smells good out here."

"Course it does," Leonard said. "Nothin' but good things was cooked in there. Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes." He looked down at the board. "How is the cut throat move tutorial goin', Beverly?"

The child giggled, giving Jim a mischievous look which he returned. "I think I've got it, Dr. Rafael. Mr. Jim is a great chess tutor. Boy is my chess club going to be surprised when I show them these new moves. So is our coach." She looked resigned. "He's not a very experienced coach he told us, but he's learning, and he really wanted to be our sponsor. He's real nice, we like him a lot."

"Hmm, you know, Beverly, I think I can get copies of the chess coaching manuals that my nephew's coach uses. I'll try to do that and give you a padd with copies for your coach."

"Oh that would be great! I have practice Tuesday after school, maybe I can give them to him then."

"If you'd like us to, and if it's okay with your school, maybe Uncle Rafael and I can come by to meet your coach and then bring you home."

"Grandma can send a note to the headmaster, so the school will give you permission for that. You gotta have permission first."

Jim nodded. "That's the way it is at Peter's school too. You just let us know tomorrow after school if it's okay."

Beverly shyly reached out to hug Jim tightly. "I'm so glad you're here," she said into his neck. "I'd be scared to take care of grandma by myself, and cook for her too," she added looking up at Leonard.

Jim returned the hug, and his hazel eyes met Bones' over the child's head. The doctor's eyes were sad as he looked at Beverly. He realized, as did Jim, that this precious child was getting very attached to them. How was she going to feel when they had to leave? And leave they would, they had to leave, go back to their own lives.

These burgeoning feelings of affection, this entanglement of their lives with Felicia and Beverly were something that Leonard had not anticipated when he agreed to this mission. Although he should have known better, he thought bitterly, remembering when the Guardian of Forever had transported them to the New York City of the 1930's, Jim had fallen in love with Edith Keeler, even knowing that he was out of his own time and place. Leonard too, had come to know and feel affection for the young woman who had helped him when he was so ill. For the most part, human beings, with their minds and hearts, were made to form connections and attachments with others, and that's what the four of them had already done here.

Beverly had already suffered so many losses in her young life. And no matter how Jim and Bones felt about her and Felicia, they would have to leave them when their mission was over, when it was time to return to their own time. He and Jim would have to speak about it to Beverly, that they were only here on this visit for a short while, that he and Jim would have to leave in a few more days, that they'd have to get back to their own lives back on Earth. There was no help for it, hard though it would be for all of them.

"Beverly, sweetheart why don't you go wake up your grandmother from her nap and help her freshen up? Jim and I can finish up in the kitchen. The rice will be done in about 5 minutes and then we can eat. Call me if you need any help with your grandmother, okay?"

"Okay, Dr. Rafael. I'm getting really hungry."

Jim stood and drew close to Leonard, reading his face easily. "I know, Bones. I feel the same way. It's going to be tough for all of us, but especially Beverly when we leave."

"She's gettin' real attached to you, Jimmy." He sighed. "She's never had a daddy, really."

"Nothing we can do about it now," Jim said. "While were here, we'll just give her as much attention and affection as we can and make sure she realizes our stay here is temporary."

"I was thinkin' the same thing," Leonard admitted. "That's all we can do." He pulled himself together. "Come help me in the kitchen. We'll bring the food to the table, less walking for Felicia."

They were plating the dishes when Beverly came in. "Dr. Rafael, I can't wake up grandma. I've tried and tried, but she won't wake up." Tears we're rolling down her face.

Leonard looked at Jim in alarm. "Let's go check on her, sweetheart." He quickly washed his hands and grabbed his med kit. Jim grabbed Beverly's cold little hand and they followed Leonard in to Felicia's bedroom.


	14. Chapter 14

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 14**

" **When they asked me what I wanted to be I said I didn't know."**

 **Sylvia Plath**

" **The Bell Jar"**

Leonard entered Felicia's room first. With evening well upon them, the room was almost totally dark. "Lights 100 percent," he told the computer, and the lights came on bright and blinding. Jim and Beverly clustered close behind him as he approached the bed, med bag already open. Felicia was still under the comforter, which went up and down as she breathed, and it looked like she was just sleeping peacefully, that nothing anywhere around her had been disturbed. Jim's Captain's eyes, trained to see the smallest details at a glance, saw the hypo on the night stand.

"Look, Bones, Just there, a used hypo on the lamp table."

Leonard saw the hypo's red cap, the Star Fleet and Federation universal color code for pain medications and nodded. "Stay here out of the way, both of you, until I examine her."

Beverly clutched Jim's hand tighter. He looked down at the child. "It's going to be alright, Beverly. Dr. Rafael will help your grandmother as quickly as he can."

Leonard dug into his med bag for his tricorder. He lamented the lack of his bio beds aboard the ship, which diagnosed instantly and thoroughly, but his field medical tricorder would have to do. Scotty, under Dr. McCoy's directions, and as only his engineering genius could do, had augmented and tweaked it for maximum input and read out capacity for his use out in the field. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at his patient carefully. Her color was good, and she was not sweating or agitated, all good signs. Leonard always liked to begin his patient intake protocol with a hands on check of his patient. After many years of medical practice, he trusted his instincts and his hands as much as his instruments. He picked up Felicia's wrist and noted with relief that her pulse was regular, a bit slow, but steady. Next he checked her pupil retraction. That was a bit sluggish. Finally, he ran the tricorder over her upper body and head. He sat still for a minute putting two and two together.

"B...Uncle Rafael?" Jim stuttered a bit. "What's wrong with her?"

Leonard looked over at Jim and Beverly and smiled slightly, reassuringly. "She's alright, Beverly. Just very deeply asleep. It looks like she woke up, probably felt pain in her leg, and gave herself her next dose of pain medication too early. It's not really an overdose or anything, just a higher dosage than was prescribed and taken a couple of hours ahead of time. Good thing it's only a class three pain medication. Buprenorphine is mostly a benign opioid, unless you're allergic, which Felicia is certainly not. You'd have to take a very large quantity of it to overdose. I'd let her sleep it off, but I prefer to wake her so we can get her back on her pain medication schedule before her bed time. I'll still postpone her next scheduled dosage for an hour or so, just to be sure this extra dose it out of her system completely. Jim, why don't you and Beverly brew up some good strong coffee? I'll try to wake Felicia up enough for her to drink it. Don't bring it too hot, mind you. Strong coffee and some food in her stomach should do the trick." He stood and went to Beverly who was still holding on tightly to Jim's hand. "Your grandma is goin' be just fine, Beverly. We'll have her awake and eating supper with us before you know it. Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Beverly nodded, her eyes now dry from her tears. "I'm okay, Dr. Rafael."

"Come on, Beverly, let's get going making that coffee while Dr. Rafael wakes up your grandmother."

Leonard went back to his patient, and sat on the edge of the bed. He grabbed another pillow, put it up against the headboard, and lifted the unresponsive Felicia up to recline her against the pillow.

"Felicia, wake up! Wake up now!" He said loudly, patting her firmly on her cheek.

"Umm," Felicia responded, keeping her eyes closed.

"That's right, wake up now." He patted her again, with a little more force this time, and Felicia grimaced and brought up her hand to bat his away. Leonard huffed a laugh. Good, she didn't like that. "Come on, Felicia, open your eyes, you're worrying Beverly by staying asleep like this" This time he patted her even harder, almost a light slap.

With that, Felicia opened her eyes and looked at him in bewilderment. "Rafael, wuzz the matter? Wuzz wrong?" She slurred, closing her eyes again.

"No no! Open your eyes, Felicia! Come on, try to stay awake! You took a double dose of your Buprenorphine. The hypo was on the dresser there. Seems you woke up, probably the leg pain woke you, and you took the second dose half way through your dosage schedule."

Felicia blinked her eyes rapidly, struggling to keep them open. "Don't remember that," she mumbled. "Just remember my leg hurt a lot, and it woke me up. I remember that I felt more pain, must have moved it too much in my sleep. I was going to call you...but..."

"But?"

She shook her head impatiently, more awake now. "I must have decided I could do it, gotten up and hobbled over to get the hypo and administer it to myself." She frowned. "Not a good decision."

"Not a good decision is right," Leonard told her sternly. "You should know better," he scolded mildly.

Beverly and Jim came in just then from the kitchen. Jim handed Leonard the cup of coffee. "I made it strong, Uncle Rafael, and it's cooled off now."

"Good. Beverly, come on up here, you can get in the bed with your grandma. She's waking up. The coffee should finish the job." Beverly went over to the other side of the bed and scrambled up, immediately cuddling up against her grandmother.

"Here drink it all, Felicia. Coffee's black, it'll work faster." He held the coffee cup up to her mouth, not trusting that her hands were steady quite yet. Felicia sipped slowly, but she drank it steadily. After a bit, Leonard drew it away from her mouth. "I'm going to give you a small dose of a tricordrazine. It'll help to wake you up a little faster. That and the caffeine should do the trick." Felicia definitely looked more alert now. She nodded and bent her neck over a little for the hypo. The drug acted almost instantly and her eyes regained their usual keenness. She put her good arm around Beverly and hugged her close in comfort.

"I'm so sorry I worried you, sweetheart, worried all of you," she added, looking contritely at Jim and Leonard. "I should know better than to take medication when I'm half asleep. It's too easy to make a mistake, just like I did. Thank you, Rafael for your timely intervention."

"Thank Beverly, Felicia, She's the one who let us know you weren't waking up. No great harm done, but yeah, it was a foolish mistake. I'll give you your next dosage before Jim and I leave tonight, and you'll get no more until early tomorrow morning when we come back. I'll give you another dose before I go to your office to speak with Robert. By tomorrow your pain level should be way better."

Felicia nodded, and Leonard got up from her bedside. "It's time for dinner. Everything's all ready, and gettin' some food in you will help with the grogginess. You can sit on the sofa after dinner and socialize with us for a while. Jim and Beverly want to play another game of chess and I can share some of my notes on Dr. McCoy with you. Sound good?"

"That does sounds good. I'm feeling much better now. Beverly dear, if you'll help me to the bathroom, I'll freshen up, then we'll join Dr. Rafael and Jim for dinner. I'm going to change into my pajamas and robe for tonight, so please get them out for me. I might as well do it now."

Leonard agreed. "You'll be more comfortable. Just call out if you need me. Beverly stay close to your grandmother while she's on those crutches. She might still be a bit wobbly."

"I will, Dr. Rafael." She went around to stand in front of her grandmother and handed her the crutches. "Come on, grandma."

Jim and Leonard stayed long enough to make sure Felicia was steady on her feet with the crutches. Once they were back in the kitchen, Jim closed the door firmly. Leonard leaned against the counter and took a deep breath.

"Are you alright, Bones? You look a little spooked."

"I'm fine, Jim. Thank the good Lord that wasn't a real drug overdose, that the pain medication she got was more benign than most opioids. Her doctor on duty, the Caldos surgeon I guess it was, was careful, probably because of her age and because she and Beverly live alone here. Of course I'm not up to speed on all the drugs they use in this time period, but what I knew about hers was enough. I'm just relieved we didn't have to take her back to the hospital. I was worried there for a minute."

"You didn't show it, Bones. You were reassuring and calm." Jim smiled at him. "I wasn't really worried, I knew you'd fix her."

"You have a lot of confidence in me, Jimmy."

"I have every reason to have complete confidence in you. You've saved me too many times to count. You've never given up on me, or any other crew member. We all know our lives are in your very capable hands, best in the Fleet, you old sawbones." He went over and gave Leonard an affectionate one arm hug. "The crisis seems to be over, so let's get the food on the table. Felicia and Beverly will be out here any minute now."

"Jim, I'm really dreading our debrief tonight," Leonard told him softly. "I know those two agents aren't gonna' be happy about what happened to Felicia and I know they're gonna' blame me for it. They're gonna' think that I didn't keep a close enough eye on her recovery, and in a way they're right about that."

Jim's hazel eyes flashed. "Nonsense! You were in no way to blame. Felicia made a mistake, but it certainly wasn't your fault. That hypo was well away from her. Tell you, what, you let me do the debrief tonight. I'm not going to let those agents blame you for what happened. It was an accident, pure and simple. Felicia is an experienced doctor and knows better than to take any medication when you're half asleep. Anyway, if either of the agents even intimates that it's your fault, they'll hear plenty about it from me, so don't you worry about it."

Leonard smiled at him affectionately. Jim was nothing if not overprotective of his family, friends and crew. A protective mama bear had nothing on James T. Kirk when it came to protecting his own and more than a few Admirals, criminals, aliens, and even a couple of omnipotent beings had found that out.

A relieved Leonard pulled out two serving dishes from the cabinet for the rice and green beans. The chicken was resting on the stove and he decided to plate it in the kitchen. Jim carried in the bowls and serving spoons to the table, and Leonard carried the platter with the chicken just as Felicia and Beverly came out of the bedroom.

"Everything's ready, ladies," Jim said. "Let's sit down and eat. I'm really hungry," he added, drawing out his vowels in the Georgian manner just like Bones. He thought that so far, he'd done well with his southern accent. Hed been careful and his Midwestern clipped Iowa tones had not surfaced once.

He took the crutches from Felicia and pulled the chair out for her.

"Thank you, Jim. Everything looks delicious, and I am hungry now."

"That's a good sign, Felicia. Good food helps the healing process. Miss Beverly here, did a fine job of being sou chef." He smiled at the little girl, his blue eyes twinkling at her.

They passed the food around and they all, including Felicia, ate with good appetite. Felicia and Jim loudly praised the two cooks.

Beverly beamed happily at their praise. "Maybe I'll study to be a chef like Solange instead of an Engineer or Doctor," she announced.

Leonard laughed softly. "No reason you couldn't do both," he told the child. "Look at Jim. He's a professor at one of our Georgia Universities, and he also does contract work for the Federation, Starfleet, and private companies. He does research for me, and he writes too. A man of many talents is my nephew."

"You are too, Uncle Rafael. You're a doctor, a writer/researcher, a master gardener, and a part time chef too." Jim put down his fork and addressed Beverly's comment. "So you see, Beverly, you don't have to give up something you love or are interested in just because you want to do another thing that's different. You can continue to do all the things you love to do."

"I really hadn't thought about doing that." She gave her grandmother a side glance. "I guess I could do more than one thing if I wanted to, couldn't I grandma?"

"You certainly could, sweetheart. As long as it makes you happy. You're certainly intelligent enough and determined enough to do whatever you want to do." She glanced at Leonard, and he gave her a small smile of approval. "You have plenty of time to discover and decide what you want to do."

"I still love medicine, grandma, I really do. I don't want you to think I don't." She glanced anxiously at Felicia. "Helping to make people feel better is something I'd really like to do."

"It's good to hear you haven't given up on that idea, darling."

Leonard drew his chair back. "Alright, why don't you all go relax in the living room, and I'll clean up the kitchen and put the leftovers away, and no, I don't want any help, Jim. You and Beverly go set up your chess game, and Felicia you go sit a spell and relax. I'll be with you shortly."

When Leonard finished in the kitchen, there was peace and quiet in the homey living room when he went in. Felicia was reading and Jim and Beverly were in the middle of their chess game.

"Come sit here, Rafael, and share some stories about Dr. McCoy with me." Felicia set aside her reading and patted the sofa seat.

Jim looked up. "Tell Felicia about the time Dr. McCoy cured that rock being, the Horta. That's a good one."

Leonard nodded. It was a good one. He made a show of pulling out his notes and looking for the correct ones. Felicia listened to the story of the miners and the mama Horta with wide eyes and deep interest. Leonard noticed that Beverly had turned around to listen to the story too.

"That's amazing, Rafael. To think Dr. McCoy healed the Horta's wounds with thermoconcrete. It was an amazing leap of intuitive healing."

"And didn't the Captain of the ship put Dr. McCoy's name in for a special commendation?" asked Jim, giving Bones a sly look.

Leonard kept his color down with an effort. He cast Jim an irritated look, but Jim just smiled guilelessly.

"I think so," Leonard mumbled into his notes.

"I'm sure that Dr. McCoy fully deserved that commendation," Felicia responded decidedly. "Don't you think so, Beverly?"

"I sure do." Beverly was wide eyed with interest.

"And to think he's your ancestor, Beverly. That's so exciting. Tell us another story, Rafael."

So Leonard did. Jim quietly set the chess board aside to finish the game another time, since it was obvious that Beverly was listening intently as Bones read from his "research."

It was amazing how thorough the DTI agents had been with their "research" notes. Dulmar and Lucsly had chosen some of Leonard's most interesting, exciting, and unusual cases. Glancing at Beverly's face, Jim hoped these stories were doing what they were supposed to do, re awaken her interest and desire to become a Starfleet physician.

Leonard finally stopped and glanced at his chronometer. "It's getting late, and you need to go to bed, Felicia. Let's get you settled and I'll give you your last dose of pain medication. It'll help you sleep, and I don't think you'll need another dose until early tomorrow when we come back. Your leg should be much better by tomorrow, and your arm fully healed. How does it feel?"

"My arm is fine." She moved her wrist up and down, and flexed her elbow. "No soreness or pain at all. My leg, though, it aches quite a bit."

"Well I'll fix that as soon as you're in bed. Beverly, why don't you help your grandmother to bed, then come get me. I'll give your grandmother her hypo, then it'll be past time for you to go to bed too. You have school tomorrow."

"Am I going to school, grandma?" She asked, surprised.

"Of course you're going, Beverly," Jim answered her. "Dr. Rafael and I will be here with your grandmother first thing in the morning. I'll stay with her while he goes to talk with Robert to close the office and reschedule her appointments. Don't you worry about her. We'll take good care of her."

The child looked relieved as she handed Felicia her crutches. "That's good. I don't like to miss school. Come on grandma, I'll help you with whatever you need to do."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Felicia moved slowly, but she was steady on her crutches. Beverly stayed close by her side as she walked to her room.

Jim and Leonard looked at each other. "You look tired, Bones," Jim said, very softly.

"I am, a little. More mental than physical though."

"Your stories about Dr. McCoy went over very well, don't you think?"

"I think they did. Do you think the tide is turnin', Jimmy?"

Jim didn't answer immediately. "Yes... I do think it's going well. She was clearly awed about Dr. McCoy's cases," he added, remembering Beverly's intent and fascinated little face.

"Don't you think you laid on the praise a little thick?" Leonard frowned at him.

"Nope, not one bit. Dr. Leonard McCoy is an awesome Doctor and the whole system knows it."

"Jim!" Leonard protested.

"It's true, Bones. You have no idea how renowned and valued you are. You also don't know how many offers for you come through my desk. I only forward you one in four. The rest I just delete."

"And so you should. As if I'd ever consider leaving you on that ship without me. Why you wouldn't last a month." Leonard's blue eyes twinkled with mirth and affection. "You just keep turning all those offers down on my behalf, Jim Kirk. Total waste of my time."

"Don't you worry, I will." They smiled at each other.

"Grandma's ready for you, Dr. Rafael. She's in bed." Beverly announced from the hall.

"I'll go give her pain medication, and you get ready for bed, young lady. Jim and I will lock up, and turn on the security shield. I want you to keep your grandmother's comm with you by the bed. If you need us for anything, anything at all, you comm me no matter what time it is. Don't hesitate, you hear me, Beverly?"

"Yes, Sir. I will if I need you."

Once Leonard had given Felicia her medication, gotten Beverly tucked into bed with Felicia's comm close at hand, the two men said goodnight. Jim put up the security shield and they left the house. They were largely silent as Jim flew them back to the hotel. Once he landed, he turned to Bones. "Remember what I said, Bones. I'm going to do the debrief. You relax, order a night cap and leave it to me."

Leonard sighed. "I'll be glad to, Jim. Have to admit, I'm tuckered out and I've been real worried."

"I know, Bones, but I think we've made a lot of progress tonight."

"I hope so, Jim. The fate of the Alpha Quadrant is in the small hands of that child."


	15. Chapter 15

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 15**

 **"Come here, cat.**

 **You wouldn't want to destroy the space-time continuum,**

 **Would you?"**

 **Connie Willis**

Jim and Bones entered the hotel lobby to find Eric Fane behind the desk reading on his padd. The hotel lights from the large crystal chandelier had been dimmed to half-light. It gave the grand lobby a more cozy and intimate feel. The lobby was empty of guests and the lights in the restaurant had been turned off.

Fane looked up from his book. "Good evening, Mr. Davis, Dr. Davis. How is Dr. Howard feeling this evening, and Beverly? You stayed with her quite late?"

Jim smiled. "We did. We left them both tucked in bed, ready for sleep. Uncle Rafael cooked us a great dinner and gave Felicia her medication for tonight, so after that we came on home." He gestured to the restaurant. "Solange closed early?"

Eric Fane smiled at Jim's use of the word home to refer to his beloved hotel. Nothing delighted him more than to think his guests felt at home. "She does not serve dinner two nights a week, Mr. Davis, only breakfast and lunch. It gives her and her kitchen staff a chance to rest, and gives the other restaurants in town a little extra dinner custom."

"Good plan, that." Leonard put the basket Solange had loaned them on the desk. "We're returning Miss Solange's pretty basket with our thanks, Mr. Fane. Sorry it took us a while to bring it back."

"I'll return it to Solange in the morning, Dr. Davis, but it is not of the slightest concern. Presently Solange is in her room dreaming up some delicious menus for our guests. She does that most evenings," he added. "She loves to create recipes, she says it's her favorite part of being a chef. That, and trying out the dishes in order to see if what she's dreamed up in her imagination works as well on the palette."

"As an amateur cook, I have to say I like that part as well. It's the fun part of creatin' recipes," Leonard confessed. "Well, we've had a real long day, so we'll be going up to our room now."

"Mr. Fane, would it still be possible for you send up a nightcap for my uncle?"

"Of course, Mr. Davis. I'll fix it myself and send it right up. Bourbon alright, Dr. Davis?"

"That would be perfect, thank you."

"Good night then, gentleman. I'll see you in the morning."

Jim pulled on Bones arm gently. "Let's take the lift up, Bones. We're both exhausted. Tomorrow, however, we're getting up a bit earlier to go for a run. We both need the exercise. My muscles are stiff and it'll be a stress reliever too, and you, especially, have been under a lot of stress."

"Yeah, you're right about that. I have been worrying a lot. I think a run is real good idea. I've felt real stiff today and we didn't even do much. I don't think I've been handling the stress of this mission very well. I don't see how you do it, Jimbo, all the hard, dangerous missions you've led us on and look how well you handle it all."

Jim stopped the lift mid-way, then turned to face Leonard. "I don't think I always handle things well, Bones. There's been a couple of missions where I've completely failed at that." Neither of them mentioned The Guardian of Forever mission. Jim had not handled the aftermath of that mission well at all. "You, better than anyone, know that. Aren't you always the one who listens to me when I'm unburdening myself? And just so you know, this is one of the hardest missions we've ever undertaken, and you're doing just fine. You've prepared yourself every day to interact with Beverly. You've been gentle and compassionate with her and with Felicia, you've engaged Beverly's interest in her women ancestors and their career choices in medicine, you've gained her trust, you've gotten Beverly to consider choosing medicine as her career again, and you've done it all in three days. So don't think that you haven't handled this mission well, Bones, on the contrary you've handled it great! No one could have done better. Are you hearing me, Bones McCoy?"

Leonard looked into the steadfast hazel eyes and saw nothing but certainty there. He sighed gustily and nodded. "Yeah, I hear you, thank you, Jim."

"Good, and you're welcome," Jim said, pressing the lift button again. "I don't want to hear any more doubts coming from you."

"Okay, I'll do my best," Leonard muttered.

Jim keyed their door lock and they entered into a very dark room. The Caldos sun had set long hours ago. "Lights," Jim ordered the room computer. "You go ahead and get ready for bed first. I'll wait for your nightcap to be sent up."

Leonard got out his nightclothes and headed for the bathroom while Jim put his pajamas on the bed to wait his turn. There was a faint knock on their room door. Jim opened it and the robot handed him Bones' nightcap. "Put it on our room bill," he ordered, and the robot rolled away.

Bones came out of the bathroom and, with a broad smile, Jim handed him the bourbon. Leonard sighed gratefully, sitting in the soft armchair, and taking a sip from the tumbler. A comforting warmth spread through him as the alcohol in the fine bourbon hit his bloodstream. He took another sip before setting it down carefully on the low lamp table.

Jim smiled at the look of bliss on Bones' face. "Good?"

"Excellent. The longer we stay here the more I admire Eric Fane. Man's got excellent taste in alcohol." He took another sip. "It's mighty, mighty good!"

Jim grabbed his clothes and headed to the bathroom. "Don't answer the adjoining door if the agents knock, Bones."

Leonard looked at him dubiously. "Won't that antagonize them? Don't really want to make them mad, you know."

"Do you really want the two of them sitting there staring at you while I'm in the shower?"

"Hell no!"

"Then, they can wait 5 minutes while I'm in the shower, and remember what I said, I'm going to do this debrief by myself."

"I remember, Jimmy. Gotta' admit I'm too worn out to want to deal with those two charmin' robots."

Jim snorted and went to freshen up. He expected the agents would be knocking at their adjoining door any minute now, and he really didn't want Bones to interact with them. He looked very tired. Jim knew it was more mental than physical, but when Bones was tired, his temper would get short and he'd snap at people. Besides Jim himself, Christine Chapel was the only one who could push him out the Sick Bay doors to rest so that when he returned he'd be his usual self again and not scare the nurses and orderlies. Tonight, Jim had determined earlier, he'd put on his big boy britches and deal with the two agents by himself.

He finished in the fresher, and as if in cue, there was a knock on the adjoining door. With a significant glance at Bones, Jim answered it. "Come in, Gentlemen. Doctor McCoy and I were just taking a few minutes to relax before our debrief and then we're going straight to bed. We're getting up extra early tomorrow for a run and then we're going back to Dr. Howard's home. Bones volunteered to go to her office first thing in the morning to notify her assistant that Dr. Howard will be out of pocket Monday afternoon and Tuesday. Dr. Howard didn't want the young man to hear about her fall and injuries from a comm call. She'll also be due for her pain medication, which Bones will administer. I'd also like to be present to get Beverly off to school, make sure she has a good breakfast and a packed lunch. We plan to stay with Dr. Howard for most of the day tomorrow, see how her arm and leg are healing, check on her mobility, and fix breakfast and lunch for her. At her age, broken bones take a bit longer to heal even with the osteo regenerator."

He put on his robe and gestured to the bed. "Please sit down. I'm going to make this debrief short because we've had a hell of a long day, and we're tired."

"Of course, Captain. We understand. Please proceed," Agent Dulmar told him as both agents sat down stiffly on the edge of the bed.

To Jim's surprise, he saw that the two men were not in their usual attire, but were dressed very casually in long sleeved t-shirts and jean. "Have you been sightseeing today?" He asked them.

"Not sightseeing, per se," Lucsly answered. "We have been out gathering intel and holos of Caldos, its environs, and it's population. All DTI agents are asked to do this if possible during a mission. We build our DTI data base in many different ways, and this is one way we are able to add to our files. We mingle with the populace, record sounds, languages, animal and plants, and types of architecture, etc. Sometimes disguises are necessary, but not here. We can mingle and be "tourists" without issue on Caldos, which makes it easier."

"I didn't realize y'all had to do those kinds of tasks," Leonard mused.

"We, all of us agents, are constantly working, Dr. McCoy," Dulmar told him. "We are not a huge department and selection of new agents is a very slow and difficult process. Time is infinite, so therefore we try to gather additional data when we time travel. As you can imagine, it's extremely difficult to police time across the centuries. We try to intervene only in dire situations, but we are stretched very thin nevertheless. Even here on this mission we are working with different time continuums elsewhere, monitoring time incursions and possible consequences and whether they should or should not be addressed. It is from our reports, that our director decides if we should intervene or not. One thing that helps us is that consequences may not happen immediately, not until later, years later sometimes, hence if we cannot intervene at one point in time, we strive to intervene in another." He paused. "Such was not the case here, though. Beverly Howard is so important to the fate of the Alpha quadrant, that immediate intervention was required. The DTI rated the Borg threat to the Alpha quadrant as an Omega threat. That is the highest risk assessment that can be given to any of our time travel missions." Dulmar stopped talking and sat looking stoically at the two men sitting in front of him.

Leonard put down his drink dumbfounded at Dulmar's monologue. Jim, too, looked surprised. Neither Dulmar nor Lucsly had ever been so forthright with Jim and Leonard about what their responsibilities as DTI agents were. The mere thought of what they had to do as agents was overwhelming.

 _No wonder they never smile,_ thought Leonard _. What a weight of responsibility they must carry with them...always._

Jim cleared his throat. "We had no idea of the scope of your responsibilities, gentlemen," Jim said echoing Leonard's thoughts. "No wonder you must pick your staff so carefully."

Dulmar nodded. "That is one reason, Captain. It is an onerous profession. Our agents must be strong physically, but more importantly, mentally and psychically. As I explained before, that was why you were required to take that medication I gave you, it takes an extreme physical toll on our bodies. It is also why we are required to step down and take some time away from our DTI time travels after three consecutive missions, in fact it is mandated that we do so. But what we did not tell you, and this information is of course highly classified, what is even worse than the time sickness, is the psychic injury that can occur. If we did not rest mentally after three missions, time psychosis is almost certain to present itself." He sighed. "It is a terrifying condition. When the DTI was first formed, no one knew about the toll time travel could inflict on the travelers, we lost several agents because of our ignorance. The brain ceases to recognize the present, the here and now, and an agent will find himself mentally flailing, trying to find their mental equilibrium in the present, but all the while mentally, the brain is sending the agent to the past or the future, back and forth, here and there, with the agent having no mental control whatsoever. Madness will soon follow if there is no psychological intervention by our temporal doctors." The normally stoic Dulmar shuddered.

"What do you do for them? How do they treat time psychosis? "Leonard asked horrified, yet fascinated at the medical aspects of time travel. It was a whole new world in medicine.

"We have medical specialists that treat the agent. It must be done quickly or recovery will not happen. An agent is first put into a state of stasis for the body to rest, then medication is given through a shunt directly into the basal ganglia located deep within the base of the brain, and the parietal lobe. Those areas, as you well know, Doctor McCoy, are the two critical areas of the brain for the humanoid time-keeping system. The doctors monitor the agent closely. It can take days, sometimes weeks to return the brain to normal, so that it can perceive time in the present once more and the agent is once more rooted in his present." ( **1** )

Leonard nodded. His own research which had led him to his groundbreaking neural grafting procedure had given him confirmation that such was the case. However in his own time, there had been no research into understanding anything having to do with time psychosis such as Agent Dulmar was describing. It would be many years before any of that became a reality.

"We decided to tell you all this, so you would realize that if sometimes we seem overly concerned and insistent, it is because in Beverly's timeline we could not find any other point for incursion, and as this is our third mission, we would not be able to return to this time line even for a short time if you are not successful without risking time psychosis for the two of us, something the director will absolutely not allow. And because there are so few of us, there are no other agents available to take our place...they too, are dealing with their own time incursion missions."

"Yes," Jim murmured. "We understand better now. Thank you for telling us all this, agents. Now then, let me debrief you on our progress. Dr. McCoy and I feel very positive about what transpired today."

"We're pleased to hear that, Captain, please proceed with your debrief."

Jim, with a side glance at the silent Leonard, began at the beginning, when they had picked up Felicia and Beverly from the hospital. He spent a little time describing Beverly's reactions to the photographs, how positive it had been, how she was going to have the pictures framed and hung in her room, and how she had been very impressed with the "Leonard McCoy" mission stories that Bones had shared with her and Felicia. Jim related how at dinner Beverly had told them how she still loved medicine and maybe she could have more than one career because she really wanted to help people."

Lucsly cracked a faint smile. "That is very encouraging to hear, Captain, very encouraging indeed. You've made excellent progress.

"Bones and I thought so too. However we did a bit of a scary moment later on." He went on to tell them about Felicia taking her extra pain medication and Beverly unable to wake her.

The two agent's demeanor became even more somber than usual. "It was fortuitous you were present, Doctor McCoy. Also fortuitous that Beverly witnessed your medical expertise helping her grandmother. I have no doubt you impressed her with your skill and compassion."

Leonard's eyebrow rose in surprise. He had not expected a compliment. In fact he had expected quite the opposite.

The two agents got up from the bed. "Thank you for the debrief, Captain. I believe, and so does agent Lucsly, that things are proceeding at a good pace. We were concerned yesterday, but today things have progressed rapidly. Good night to the two of you. We still have a few hours of work ahead of us. Research for our next mission, after our mandatory rest period."

The two agents went through the adjoining door and Jim locked it. They turned to face each other. "Well that was eye openin'," Leonard said. "I had no idea of the scope of their responsibilities." He shuddered. "Not a job for the faint of heart."

"Well it certainly explains why they're not a barrel of laughs," Jim said.

Leonard snorted. "No kidding." He yawned. "I'm more than ready for bed, Jimbo. If you want me to join you for a run at the crack of dawn in the morning, I need my sleep."

"You go ahead, Bones. I'm going to read for a little while. I brought volume three of the Master and Commander series Ma gave me at Christmas."

"Yeah? I know you love those books. What's this one called?"

"It's called "HMS Surprise," Jim said with a perfectly straight face.

Leonard burst out laughing. "Couldn't possibly be a more 'propriate name for this mission."

—

( **1) Made up Science here, folks.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 16**

 **"Story is our only boat for sailing on the river of time."**

 **Ursula K. Le Guin**

Jim's comm alarm buzzed at 5:30 a.m. Caldos time. It was time for their run. He decided to get dressed first and then wake up Bones. The area around the hotel was well lit, so even though sunrise was still an hour away, they'd have good visibility. He dressed in his grey sweats, then went to the other bed and shook Bones gently. "Come on, Bones, wake up. Time for our run."

Leonard moaned in protest. "You go, Jim. Let my old bones rest."

"Your bones aren't old, Bones," he said, laughing gently, "and you'll thank me later. Now come on."

Groaning loudly, (for dramatic effect it must be admitted) Leonard grudgingly got out of bed, and washed his face. He peered at himself in the mirror, checking his beard and hair color while he was at it, then dressed in his ancient Ole Miss sweats, which still fit him these many years later. Jim was rocking impatiently on his heels waiting for him.

"Now Jim, settle down. You better start out slow, cause if you don't I'll just stop runnin'. It's too damn early for speed."

"Fine, I'll start slow," Jim said, frowning. "But just remember you're not the old man you're disguised as, so stop acting like it," he added huffily.

Leonard was silent. Jim had a point. He was only six years older than Jim and in fine physical shape. He was letting his performance as an older Dr. Davis get to him. Well that ended now. He would show Jim how well he could keep up with him.

The lobby was quiet and empty, the great chandelier above them dimmed for the night. No one was at the front desk at this hour. They went outside and did a few warm up stretches and began to run. Again, they started with an easy slow jog, as befitted a man Dr. Rafael's age, and in case anyone from the hotel was watching, then when out of sight of the hotel, they gradually ran faster until both men hit their usual comfortable running stride and their endorphins kicked in. Jim said they'd run their usual 6 kilometers. It was what they did on the ship, around the saucer on deck 9 by Sick Bay in case Leonard was needed.

They ran abreast of each other breathing easily, with minimal conversation. They circled the grounds enjoying their beauty and serenity. Leonard could feel the tension and stress he'd felt yesterday dissipating, and one glance at Jim's relaxed shoulders and contented face, told him that he felt the same.

The sun was rising when they finally stopped in front of the hotel entrance. The sun was just peeking up from the horizon, and it would soon be full daylight. Time for a shower, a quick breakfast, and after that on to Felicia's house to administer her meds, then 'Dr. Davis' would go to her office. Jim would stay and see that Beverly got off to school with a good breakfast and a packed lunch if that was necessary.

They greeted the clerk at the front desk and went up for a quick shower. Once dressed they entered the dining room, and Laura came over with a smile.

"The usual full breakfast?" She asked filling their coffee cups.

"Absolutely," Leonard answered. "Best breakfast goin'," he told her, solemnly.

"I'll tell Solange you said so," she grinned.

She brought out their breakfasts quickly and put Solange's basket on one of the other chairs. "Solange has sent lunch for the three of you again, and asked that you try out the cake. It's one of her new recipes so your opinion would be appreciated. Also, I put in a new vid for Beverly to watch. My little sister says it's great."

"Well now, isn't that the nicest thing for Solange to do and you too, Laura. Dr. Howard and Beverly will be mighty happy to know y'all are thinking about them. I know they'll want to thank Solange and you personally.

Jim grinned. "Two more willing testers would be hard to find. Tell Solange we're more than happy to try the cake, I doubt that anything she prepares would be anything but fantastic, and Laura, I know Beverly will be delighted with the vid."

The two men left the restaurant immediately after breakfast. Outside the sun was rising, but it was still very early. Once again Jim parked the shuttle in front of Felicia's house, knowing Bones would be leaving for the doctor's office as soon as he gave Felicia her meds. Felicia has told Leonard that Robert arrived at 8:30 to get things organized. Felicia always arrived at 9:00 am to begin her lab work. Robert would certainly be shocked to learn about Felicia's injuries, but at least Leonard would be able to assure him that she was on the mend and would be back at work on Wednesday.

The security shield was already down, Jim noticed, so Felicia and Beverly were awake. Leonard carried the basket and Jim rang the bell. Beverly's small face peered at them through the glass door panel and she smiled as she opened the door. "Good morning, Mr. Jim, Dr. Rafael. Grandma," she yelled, "it's Mr. Jim and Dr. Rafael."

Felicia came into the hall on her crutches. "No need to yell, Beverly. I'm right here."

Beverly grinned at them, obviously unrepentant. "Sorry Grandma, I thought you were in the bedroom."

"Come in both of you. Beverly, go finish your breakfast and get your school bag. Make sure all your book padds are in there." She made her way slowly to the kitchen. "I was just going to pack a lunch for Beverly. There isn't a cafeteria at the school yet, so the children have to take their lunch. Sometimes I let Beverly make her own lunch, but I can't always depend on her to pack a nutritious meal," she added wryly.

"Let me do it, Felicia" Jim told her. "That's why we came early. Also Solange sent our lunch again, and Laura, our waitress, sent Beverly a new vid that her younger sister said she'd enjoy." He disappeared into the homey kitchen.

"That's so kind of Solange and Laura. I must send them thank you notes with you and Jim, Rafael."

"They're all good people at that hotel. Now then, I'm just gonna give you your meds, Felicia, and then go straight to your office to speak with Robert. I'll be back after that. Jim and I plan to spend the day with you and I'll fix supper. Jim thinks tonight we should order take out, but we'll see. The point is for you to rest that leg and not put too much weight on it. I'll check the bone when I get back, and if it's healing well, we'll dispense with the crutches and you can just use your walking boot."

"Thank you, Rafael. I find the crutches very tiring and I'll be happy to be rid of them."

"Grandma, I'm through with breakfast, and I've got my book bag. I gotta' go now, bye, Grandma, thanks, Mr. Jim," she said as he handed the rushing child her packed lunch bag. "Bye, Dr. Rafael. I'm glad the two of you are staying with Grandma so I won't worry about leaving her alone," she called out behind her, as the front door slammed.

Felicia sighed. "It's like that every day, that child is a whirl wind in the mornings."

"Sounds like about every ten year old I've known, including myself and my nephew, as my Ma could tell you."

"I'll be goin' now," Leonard told them. "Is there anything you need from the office, Felicia?"

"No, thank you, Rafael. Just make sure Robert sends my labs to either Dr. Sanket or to Dr. Tovar and have him explain the situation. Of course Dr. Tovar already knows since he treated me in the hospital, but I doubt if Dr. Sanket does. I believe there are only three labs to do, so either doctor will be able to fit those labs into their schedule."

"I'll take care of it. Now on the sofa with you, young lady. It's time for your meds."

Felicia giggled like the young lady Leonard called her and settled into the sofa with a grateful sigh. She was already tired and glad to get off the leg. Leonard looked at her knowingly. "Haulin' those crutches and the walking shoe is wearin' isn't it. You just stay put here and rest until I get back. Close your eyes." He gave her a lesser dose of her pain medication and a hypo of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D3. Her healing bones needed the extra doses of vitamins. Felicia closed her eyes obediently.

"Thank youl," she murmured.

"Jim, walk me out so you can tell me if there's anything I need to know about the rental shuttle," Leonard told him.

"Keep a close eye on her," Leonard ordered, once they were outside. "She wore herself out this morning. Woman her age should be thinkin' of retiring soon, and here she is raisin' a ten year old child."

"Just like Ma, Bones, although Ma is younger than Felicia, but still raising a young child is hard. Ma says it keeps her young, but I worry about it sometimes."

"Nonsense, Jim. Quit your worryin'. Your mother has more energy than any ensign one third her age, more than me that's for sure."

Jim laughed. "I guess she does at that. Don't worry, Bones, I'll keep a close eye on her until you get back."

After Leonard left, Jim took himself to the kitchen and unloaded the basket Solange had sent. He put the cake on a platter and sniffed it appreciatively. It smelled delicious and it would be no hardship to taste test this beauty. The rest of the food, chicken salad sandwiches, (which Jim loved) sliced veggies, and homemade chips he put in the cooler. Afterward he washed the few dishes that were from breakfast. Jim knew his way around a kitchen. He and Sam had always helped their mother with chores. At the farm everyone worked, and Saturday and kitchen chores were an established routine for the two Kirk boys as they were now for Peter.

After he finished, he quietly slipped into the living room. Felicia had fallen asleep. He and Bones wouldn't have as much contact with Beverly as they'd had yesterday. Today, they would have to wait until she came home from school.

Jim settled in with his Master and Commander book to wait for Bones' return. It would be a quiet day, he thought. Nothing more could be done with Beverly until school was out.

A long while later, Jim heard footsteps coming up the front porch. With a glance at the still sleeping Felicia, he set his book carefully on the side table, opened the front door, gently, closed it behind him, and stepped out to meet Bones.

"Felicia is still asleep," he said softly. "Was everything taken care of at the office? You took quite a while," he added, "and I've been wondering what the holdup was."

"The pain meds make you sleepy," Leonard responded, "and restin' that leg is the best thing for it, and yes, everythin' is fine. Robert was very shocked to hear about Felicia's fall. He hadn't heard a thing about it. He said he'd take care of notifying her appointments for this afternoon and tomorrow and reschedule them. After that, he'll take the pending labs to one of the doctors; he said they were just routine labs." He held out a large shopping bag. "Thought I'd pick up some nice picture frames for Beverly. Had to go to several shops, though. Apparently there's not much call for them, but one of the shops was able to replicate them for me. We could put all the pictures in the frames when she gets home from school. Thought it'd be a good way to reinforce the importance of those women ancestors of hers and their contributions to medicine."

With a glance at the closed door, Jim agreed. "Great idea! Let's go inside, Bones, before Felicia wakes up. I don't want her to think we're being secretive about anything. She'll want to hear how things went at her office," he said taking the shopping bag from Bones. Jim closed the door a little louder than was strictly polite, but he felt Felicia should wake up now. It was almost time for lunch anyway.

At the sound of the door closing, Felicia stirred, opened her eyes and yawned. Her eyes found Leonard's and she smiled. "I see you're back, Rafael. I fell asleep as soon as you left, the pain med made me very sleepy, probably because I had very little for breakfast."

"It's fine. The main thing is you stayed off your leg, because rest is the best thing for it."

"Was the office opened on time? Did you tell Robert what happened?"

"Yes, I got there just before Robert, and he said he'd take care of everything, that he'd deliver the labs as you asked. Now then, Felicia, if Jim will excuse us, I'm going to give your arm and leg a thorough examination. If I'm satisfied, we'll dispense with the crutches immediately."

"I'll just go in the kitchen and serve our lunch. Solange sent us a feast."

Leonard helped Felicia undress and got out his instruments. "I borrowed your bone scanner, Felicia. Told Robert I needed it for this exam. He was reluctant to let it out of his sight, but I told him you'd bring it back on Wednesday."

"He's very conscientious," Felicia smiled.

Leonard was thorough. He first used the bone scanner, then the tricorder, then his own gentle fingers to feel the bones. "Everything looks good. Walking boot today, then late tomorrow that will go too, and you'll be good to go back to work."

Felicia put her pajamas and robe back on. "Thank youl. That's a relief. With so few doctors here, I can't be out too long."

"Just long enough to heal properly. Now, let me tell Jim we're finished, and we'll have lunch."

After eating the delicious lunch Solange had prepared for them, and declaring the cake to be amazingly good, Leonard joined Felicia in the living room while Jim tidied the kitchen.

"I think before Beverly gets home, we should go outside on the porch for some fresh air and a little more practice without crutches and just your walking boot. Jim is going out to buy a few groceries for y'all, milk, fruit, bread, and cereal. Save you a grocery run after you go back to work on Wednesday." He guided her carefully out to the porch. It was a beautiful day, as were most days on Caldos. The Federation Colonization Board had chosen well for the refugees.

"Oh, that's so helpful. Please get my purse and I'll give Jim my credit chip."

Jim just coming outside, overheard her. "We'll settle up later, Felicia. I'd like to go and come before Beverly gets back. I promised her another chess lesson."

"Yeah, and I have something to add to the gift of pictures I gave her."

Felicia shook her head. "You two spoil her. You've both been very kind to Beverly. She's going to miss you very much when you leave."

Leonard swallowed hard. "We'll miss her too, a lot. Both of us will." He cleared his suddenly constricted throat. "Now then Felicia, let me see you walk with just the boot." Leonard looked carefully at her gait and was satisfied. She was steady on her feet. He had her walk back and forth for a few more minutes and then they sat down on the porch rockers to enjoy the lovely afternoon. Conversation was desultory and relaxed, not touching on Beverly, but rather on medical topics of interest to them both.

Leonard spied Jim walking back from the shuttle parking area, and went to help with the grocery bags. "Everything alright, Bones?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, Felicia is doing real well. She walked for a while and she's steady on her feet. Gonna' send her to bed for a rest. No more pain med until after dinner."

They walked up the porch steps together, and Leonard's strong suggestion to Felicia for a rest was met with agreement. Jim put all the groceries away, while Leonard made sure Felicia made it to her bed without incident. Afterward the two men went back out to the porch to wait for Beverly's return from school.

Jim glanced over and noted Bones' relaxed posture. "Looks like you're feeling better." He glanced at the door to make sure it was closed.

"I am, Jim. After our debrief last night, I feel more confident we'll make this work."

"Of course we will. Wait until Beverly sees the picture frames, she'll be thrilled. It'll give you another opportunity to talk up the women in her family. I think she's very close to making up her mind. I have another idea that I want to run by you." He pulled his rocker closer to Bones and whispered what he had in mind.

Leonard's eyes gleamed. "That's brilliant, let's get Dulmar and Lucsly to fix it up for us right away. We'll come up with a good cover story for it too," he chuckled. "You're a genius, Jimmy!"

"Why thank you, Uncle. Runs in the family I think," Jim smirked.

It was very pleasant sitting on the front porch. It reminded Leonard of his family home in Georgia, where sitting on the front porch in the late afternoon or evening was considered a time honored tradition. Sadly, it had been way too long since he'd been back home to do so. He'd have to find the time to remedy that, introduce Joanna to the joys of rockin' and sittin' as his mama always said.

Beverly came home at 2:30 and found them still sitting on the porch. "Hi, Dr. Rafael, hi, Mr. Jim. What are you doing?"

"Nothing much," Jim answered the child. "Just enjoying the afternoon, waiting for you and for your grandmother to get up. Did you have a good day at school?"

Beverly noodled. "It was good. Lots of the kids knew about Grandma's accident, and they asked about her, what had happened to her and how she was doing. I had to explain about her broken leg and arm, and how you helped her, Dr. Rafael. The kids wanted to hear all about that. Was Grandma alright today?" She asked a bit anxiously.

"Right as rain. No more crutches for her, just the boot today and tomorrow and she can go back to work day after tomorrow." He glanced at her. "Your grandmother told me she doesn't want to be off work too long, that this community needs her. I heard the same thing from Mr. Fane, Laura, and Solange. They think very highly of your grandmother, Beverly, of all the good she's done here."

"I know," Beverly said. "It was like that on Arvada too. She helped everybody." Jim saw that her small face was thoughtful, a bit sad, obviously remembering her home planet, now completely destroyed by the moon collision.

"Beverly, I was asking Uncle Rafael about dinner and I suggested pizza. When we first arrived here, we walked around the Main Street and saw an Italian restaurant that had pizza as a specialty. Do you and your grandmother like pizza?"

Beverly grinned in delight. "We love pizza!"

"Then pizza it shall be. Now why don't you go get the photographs Uncle Rafael gave you? He has something to add to that gift."

"Really, Dr. Rafael?"

"Yep, sure do. I'll get them while you fetch the pictures."

Beverly hurried back with her precious photographs in hand. "Grandma is up, she'll be here in a minute."

"Sit down, Beverly, and I'll show you what we're gonna' do."

Leonard opened the shopping bag and brought out the picture frames.

"Oooh, you brought the frames! Thank you, Dr. Rafael!" She sprang up and gave him a hug, her arms going tight around him.

Felicia came out to the porch. "What's going on?" she asked smiling at Beverly's enthusiastic hug.

"Look Grandma, Dr. Rafael gave me the frames for the photographs, isn't that great?"

"Rafael, that's entirely too generous!"

"Nonsense, Felicia. Meant to do it, just had to wait for the shop to replicate the frames. Beverly's kin deserve to be in real nice frames." He grinned at Beverly. "Maybe one day in the future, if you decide on medicine, you can join these ladies and your grandmother will put your picture in a frame too."

"Would you really do that, Grandma?" Her deft small fingers had already begun to put the first photograph in the frame.

"I must certainly would."

Jim's communicator beeped, startling him. He flipped it open. "Hello?" He listened intently to the voice at the other end, his face suddenly impassive. "Yes, of course, we'll be there shortly.

"I'm afraid we have to go back to the hotel. There seems to be a mix-up about our rental. The company is there to pick it up. We'll have to return it, and make arrangements to acquire another one." He turned to Felicia. "We won't be long. Will you be alright for a short while? If we're going to be held up I'll com you, and you can order the pizza."

"Of course we'll be fine. Don't you worry about us, you go on and take care of your shuttle mix-up."

"I'll go get your med bag, Uncle Rafael. You know you're never without it." Jim hurried into the house.

Leonard got up, careful not to show his bewilderment. What the hell had happened?

The two men hurriedly walked away from the house toward the shuttle parking. "Jim, what's goin' on?" Leonard whispered.

"That was agent Dulmar, Bones. Lucsly is ill! Ill enough so that Dulmar was worried enough to comm us. He didn't want to take him to the hospital, wants you to check him over first. Dulmar said Lucsly's never gotten sick on any mission before, not ever!"

"That's not good, Jim! Not good at all!

.


	17. Chapter 17

**Due to the TG holidays there will be no update next weekend. We will be going out of town to celebrate with family.**

 **I also want to wish all my readers and FF friends a very happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday. I am very thankful for all the lovely people I have met on this site who have taken the time to read, comment, and pm me. You are all amazing!**

 **Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 17**

" **time is not a line.**

 **time spins**

 **and spirals**

 **like a galaxy**

 **yet time vanishes**

 **and is gone**

 **in the Oneness**

 **of the Infinite..."**

 **Leland Lewis**

Jim landed the shuttle and he and Bones hurried into the hotel. The same clerk from this morning was at the front desk. Today must be Eric Fanes day off, thought Jim. Just as well, it saved them from answering any questions. It was just half past three, local time, so hopefully Bones would check Lucsly, determine what was wrong with him, and they could get back to Felicia and Beverly.

The clerk didn't give them a second glance as they took the stairs up two at a time. Jim keyed their room door, and Leonard quickly knocked on the adjoining door. Agent Dulmar opened it immediately.

"Doctor McCoy, Captain, please come in. Agent Lucsly did not want me to interrupt your mission, but he really feels quite ill, and I am very concerned about him. I did not want to take him to a local doctor or to the hospital. The less interactions we have with the local inhabitants during a mission, the less chance there is of causing a shift in the time stream. When we gather data, it is always without interacting with any beings while we are in their time line."

Leonard pulled his med bag over his head. "What are his symptoms?"

"We went out this morning after breakfast as usual to gather more data. He seemed fine until lunch when he complained of a bad headache. We had nothing with us for his head ache, so we returned to the hotel. Lucsly then took a mild general analgesic I had with me and lay down to rest. After about an hour he complained of nausea and general malaise. I felt his forehead and noticed it was very warm. I had no access to a medical scanner or tricorder so I had to use my palm."

"That's the way mamas have done it for millennia," Leonard told him. "Let me take a look at him. Jim, you stay away from him until I know what's the matter."

"Bones!" Jim protested.

"You do what I say, Jim," Leonard growled at him. "Cain't afford for you to get sick too."

Lucsly was lying on his back, his face very pale, his eyes closed. "Agent Lucsly," Leonard said softly.

Lucsly opened his eyes and looked up at Leonard. "Dr. McCoy. Please excuse me, I'm afraid I am unwell."

"I know you are, Agent Dulmar commed us. I'm gonna' to examine you, is that alright with you?"

Lucsly nodded and winced.

"Head still hurtin'?

"Yes...quite a lot," Lucsly murmured.

Leonard ran the tricorder over him. BP a little high, temperature 38.9 C, high for a healthy adult male, some joint inflammation, and a bad headache. He then ran the medical scanner over him and nodded. It diagnosed what he expected. With gentle hands he felt under both sides of his jaws and underarms. Yep, swollen lymph nodes.

He beckoned to Jim and Dulmar. "I'm gonna' wash my hands, be right back."

"Alright," he said to the worried Dulmar. "Lucsly here has a bad case of the Caldos variant of flu. It's a particularly bad case, first because it's not an Earth flu virus, and secondly because flu viruses mutate every year, and unfortunately you didn't get the vaccine for this variant of flu. Every year Starfleet Medical tries to guess which types of flu viruses will be most common the following year across the quadrant in order to be prepared with the right vaccines, but," he sighed, "we invariably fail to predict all of them. Times haven't changed much since the 20th century regarding the common cold and flu virus. Jim, I think I'm gonna' comm Felicia and tell her one of the hotel guests has contracted the flu, that we ran into him in the lobby. He was feeling pretty miserable so I checked him over, but I wanted to confer with her regarding meds, and could she comm in to a pharmacy the antiviral they use here. Would that be alright with you, Agent Dulmar?" Leonard thought to ask somewhat belatedly.

"Yes, Doctor McCoy, that will be fine."

"I think I'll also ask if she thinks Jim, you, and me, should get the local vaccine. True it's late, but better late than never. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go in our room to speak with Felicia. Agent Lucsly needs quiet and rest and he needs to be hydrated, so why don't you call downstairs and ask for some juice and tea. Try to get all the fluids down him you can, his fever is pretty high. As soon as I finish speaking with Felicia, I'll give him an antipyretic for the fever. Just wanna' double check what their course of treatment is for their local flu."

"Bones tell Felicia we'll be heading back in a while, that we got the shuttle issue taken care of quickly. We'll order the pizza when we get back."

"Good idea, Jim. I almost forgot about the shuttle story. Oh, Dulmar, get a cool wash cloth, and sponge Lucsly's arms, neck and face. That'll cool him down until the antipyretic begins its work."

Leonard went next door and they could hear his soft murmur as he spoke with Felicia. They heard him chuckle and then the flip of his comm closing. "Alright, Felicia concurs with the antipyretic first thing. She gonna' call in the antiviral, so Jim, if you wouldn't mind picking up the meds, here's the name and coordinates of the pharmacy, the meds will be ready when you get there. It's much quicker if you pick them up, Felicia said, because the pharmacy waits until there are several orders ready to go before they deliver. She also said we should all take the vaccine, so she's ordering three doses for us." He looked at Dulmar. "Apparently it's flu season here on Caldos."

"Now you go on, Jimmy. I'll stay here til you get back...after that we'll head back to Felicia's," he called to the already disappearing Jim. He pulled out a hypo from his bag and went over to Lucsly. "I'm gonna give you something for the fever now. Little sting in your neck," he said and injected it directly into his carotid artery.

Lucsly gave a soft sigh as the drug began to work almost instantly. He opened his blurry eyes. "Thank you, Dr. McCoy."

"No problem, Lucsly. You'll start to feel better as soon as we get the antiviral in you. Now you just rest." There was a knock on the door. Dulmar answered it and took the carafe of juice and tea from the robot. Leonard helped Lucsly sit up, fluffing the pillows and placing them behind him. "Let's get you out of these clothes and into your pajamas. Dulmar, put down that juice and tea, and bring me his pajamas." He helped Lucsly undress, and was happy that his skin already felt cooler. Between them they wrestled the weakened Lucsly into his night clothes. Afterward the exhausted agent leaned back against the head board and closed his eyes.

"I don't know why I feel so tired," he murmured. "I'm never ill, Dr. McCoy."

"Yes well, a bad case of the flu will do that to you. Now then," he handed Lucsly the glass of juice. "Drink it real slow, don't want you to throw it up." He patted the agent gently on the arm. For the first time, as he was checking him over, he'd noticed just how young he was. The persona Lucsly projected as an agent was that of a much older man.

He went over to Dulmar. "He's gonna' to be fine, Dulmar. However, he'll need to take it easy for a few days even with the antivirals. Don't want to risk a relapse."

"No, we most certainly do not! Thank you for your timely intervention and good care of him, Doctor McCoy."

You're welcome...I'm glad I could help." They sat on Dulmar's bed to wait for Jim while Lucsly sipped his juice.

Leonard lowered his voice. "I want to run somethin' by you, Dulmar. I think it might prove to be a tippin' point, that is if between y'all and Jim and me we can carry it off." He drew in a deep breath, hoping this was something that Dulmar would agree to.

"You already know that I went to the University of Mississippi for my initial medical degree, and that after I graduated from medical school there, I did my Internship and Residency in Georgia. That's also where I got married and divorced and where I joined Starfleet. However, Ole' Miss, is my Alma mater."

Dulmar nodded. The DTI agents knew all this from their mission research.

"Sooo...what I want to do, and what I want you two to do," he looked dubiously over to the sick Lucsly, "or maybe just you, Dulmar, is to somehow set up a scholarship at Ole' Miss in the name of its distinguished alumni, Dr. Leonard H. McCoy. Endow it retroactively, so to speak, or however you time travelers make your magic happen. I want the stipulation that all direct descendants of Dr. Leonard McCoy would be eligible for that scholarship. Since Beverly is a direct descendant of his, that part should be easy. After you set it up like that, I want to fix it so that it's offered to Beverly Howard in 7 years, that her tuition, room and board, and books, will be paid for the whole time she's there. She will be able do her undergrad, pre-med, and her 4 years of Med School there, all paid for. I know, from the little she's shared with us, that Felicia doesn't have the money for all that, and Beverly's parents were too young when they died, to leave the child much, so without a scholarship or financial aid of some sort, Beverly will have to work while going to college and to medical school. Havin' that scholarship money available would be a huge incentive toward her decision to go into medicine. Also, I want to add a little stipend for spendin' money for the kid. What do you say, Dulmar. Is it possible to do all that, set that up?"

Dulmar was silent for a moment thinking. "I think it's both possible and feasible, Dr. McCoy. However, I must speak with our director about this first. What you suggest requires a substantial monetary investment from the DTI Agency, but with the stakes as high as they are because of the Borg invasion, I believe the director will be amenable to the expense. I will communicate with him this evening. As you can imagine, it is quite complicated to coordinate a person to person communication through the time stream. We have special protocols and algorithms that we must use, as well as special communication devices which must remain hidden at all times. We try our best not to use them since it is quite a complex process, but for something like this, since I must get approval for your plan, I will use ours. I do not believe that setting up such a scholarship would damage the time stream. We would only put the scholarship in place at the appropriate time when Beverly is ready to apply, and make it appear as if it was always there and available. That is not a problem. I can let you know the director's decision by late this evening. I think your idea is a good one, Doctor. Such a scholarship would indeed be a huge incentive for Beverly."

"That's what Jim and I thought too. Beverly is beginning to show a renewed interest in medicine. We just need to push a little bit more."

"You have accomplished a lot, Doctor, and in a short amount of time."

"I just feel bad that we're here under false pretenses, and we've told so many lies to that child and her grandmother."

Dulmar's usually impassive face softened. "Take comfort, Doctor McCoy, that what you're doing is for the greater good, you are saving the lives of trillions of beings. The Alpha quadrant will be saved from the Borg because of you."

Bones response was interrupted when Jim came through the adjoining door.

"Jim! That was fast."

He handed Bones the pharmacy bag. "The pharmacy had them ready for me.

Thanks." Leonard pulled out the 4 hypo cartridges. He filled his hypo with the antiviral for Lucsly and injected it. "There, you'll start feeling better in 12 hours or so. They work pretty fast. Flu antivirals have been around a long time almost as long as the flu vaccines, which the rest of us are going to get right now." He gave Jim and Dulmar their vaccines then injected himself.

"Lend me your padd, Dulmar. I'll input your care instructions for Lucsly. The main thing is to keep him hydrated and rested."

"Thank you, Dr. McCoy. You and the Captain best return to Dr. Howard's home. They'll be expecting you. I will have the answer for you about the scholarship when you return tonight."

"Yeah, we better get back, Bones." He chuckled. "Beverly will be waiting impatiently for us to order the pizza."

"We'll check in with you when we get back tonight," Bones told Dulmar. He ran the tricorder over the sleeping Lucsly one last time. "His temperature is down, but give him another dose of the antipyretic in 4 hours so he can rest well tonight and see that he stays hydrated. He may get hungry, so have some tea and toast sent up in a couple of hours."

They left the hotel, to see the setting sun painting the Caldos sky in shades of orange, pink, red, and violet. "Beautiful," Jim breathed, his face upturned to the sky.

"Missing the stars and your ship, Jimmy?" Leonard smiled at him affectionately, knowingly.

"A little, I guess, but I'll be back there soon enough, and no time will have passed when we're returned to our own time, so I won't have missed a thing." Jim grinned, his hazel eyes sparkling.

Leonard laughed softly. "There is that," he agreed. "The hobgoblin won't have had time to miss you."

"Or you, Bones. I'm sure otherwise he would have missed your scintillating conversations and lively discussions," Jim added mischievously.

Leonard grinned. He did love to rile up that pointy eared Vulcan.

On the ride back to Felicia's Leonard told Jim about his conversation with Dulmar. "I'm optimistic, Jimbo. Dulmar didn't think the DTI director would say no to the idea, and he also thought a scholarship would go a long way to convince Beverly and also help Felicia with finances. Starfleet is free, of course, but college and Med school costs a lot of credits and it's sad but true that things haven't changed in hundreds of years. Look at me; I had a big debt when I left med school, worked for years to pay it off. That's one reason, I was left with nothin' when Jocelyn divorced me, had to pay my Med school debt, pay child support, which I was happy to do, and pay the mortgage on the house so my Joanna would have a home. Practically nothin' left after that," Leonard said, bitterly. "Wouldn't want Felicia and that sweet child to go through any thin' like that."

"Bones..." Jim reached out and laid a consoling hand on Leonard's thin shoulder.

"S'alright, Jimmy," he patted the warm consoling hand. "That's all behind me now, thank the good Lord. I'm pretty solvent now, thanks to Starfleet, and paying off my debt and the house. Don't really spend much being on the ship all the time, so my salary pretty much accumulates. Hope to buy a little retirement place some day in the future."

"That's a long way away, Bones McCoy, and don't try to tell me differently." He turned his head to smile his sunshine smile at Leonard. "You know, I can't do without my Bones on the ship or in my life. A better friend than you would be impossible to find."

"Humph," Leonard snorted. "As if I'd leave you with another CMO to patch you up. Why you wouldn't last a month, Jim Kirk, and well you know it." He rolled his eyes, but a small affectionate smile touched his lips.

"Don't I know it!"

Jim landed the shuttle and they walked to Felicia's. The sun was getting low on the horizon, but it was still daylight. Felicia and Beverly were on the porch, Beverly on the floor with her chess set, practicing her moves, and Felicia in the rocking chair with a book padd in her hands.

"Now isn't that a pretty sight," Leonard said, going up the steps. Jim sat on the top step to look at Beverly's moves. He nodded his head in approval. "Good strategic move, Beverly. It's preemptive which is a good way to rattle your opponent."

"How is your patient, Rafael?"

"Feeling better. I gave him the antiviral so he should be much better tomorrow. His friend is going to look in on him this evening, be sure he eats somethin'. I'll be sure to check on him before retirin'. Shame he came down with the flu. Said he was here on business. And," he said, before Felicia asked, "I did give Jim, his friend and myself the flu vaccine."

"Good. Flu season is just starting here, and all three of us doctors have been vaccinating madly. Dr. Senkat went to the school to vaccinate all the children too."

"That's the best thing to do. Jim and I are used to lots of preventive meds, 'cause we travel so much doing my research, right Jim?"

Jim grimaced. "Uncle Rafael is a fiend for preventive medicine." He made a show of rubbing his neck.

"Don't be such a baby. Your mama would have a fit if I let you get sick when we're traveling, and flu is nothin' to fool around with."

"Beverly," Jim said, eager now to change the subject, "why don't we look up the menu from Gio's and decide what we want to order besides the pizza?"

Beverly looked up at her grandmother with a grin. "Grandma said dinner is our treat tonight."

Jim opened his mouth to protest, but Felicia shook her head. "I insist," she said firmly. "After all you and Rafael have done for us, it's the least we can do, and there's to be no discussion about anything except for food we want to order.

After perusal of the on line menu and an exhaustive discussion, choices were made just as the sun was setting on the Caldos horizon. Besides a medium cheese, pepperoni and mushroom pizza, they placed an order of Chicken Piccata for the three adults, and Spaghetti with Meatballs for Beverly. They also ordered a large Italian salad, (because Rafael insisted on some fresh vegetables) garlic bread, and chocolate filled cannelloni for dessert.

After dinner, and clean up, Jim played one more game of chess with Beverly, although he noticed she was distracted, watching Bones intently as he carefully checked Felicia's leg. A good sign that, Jim thought. Felicia announced she no longer needed the pain medication, and Bones agreed, looking pleased. The two men said goodnight promising to return early tomorrow.

Back at the hotel, they waved goodnight to the desk clerk who was still on duty, and went upstairs to check on Lucsly. Leonard knocked softly on the adjoining door and Dulmar opened it immediately.

"Come in, Doctor McCoy, Captain," He said softly. "Agent Lucsly is doing better. He slept for two hours after you left, then had tea and toast with no issues. I have not roused him to take his temperature, but I felt his forehead, and he was much cooler. I believe it is time for his antipyretic medication." There was still a small worried frown on Dulmar's forehead.

"I'll run the med scanner over him. If he's temp is down, no need to wake him right away. Did you eat dinner, Dulmar?"

"No, I did not want to leave him alone."

"Thought so. Jim here thought to bring you some left over pizza from our dinner. You can warm it with your phaser set on low, if you want."

"Thank you, Captain. I am hungry. However, I will eat it cold as I did in my youth," he cracked a small smile, as he took the container from Jim.

Leonard ran his medical scanner over the sleeping Lucsly. His temperature was almost normal. The flu antiviral was doing its job.

"Bones?" Jim asked. "How is he?"

"Much better, Jim. He's on the mend. We won't wake him for his med. If he wakes up later you can give it to him," he said to Dulmar, "and if you need me tonight, don't hesitate to wake us."

Dulmar nodded, swallowing his pizza. "I spoke with the director, Doctor, and I have an answer for you about the scholarship."


	18. Chapter 18

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 18**

" **Sure, everything is ending," Jules said, "but not yet."**

 **Jennifer Egan**

"Please take a seat, Doctor, Captain." With a glance at the still sleeping Lucsly, Dulmar looked a question at them. "Perhaps we should go to your room so we don't disturb him?"

Jim nodded and they went into the other room leaving the adjoining door slightly ajar in case Lucsly awoke and needed something. Once again they sat on the beds facing each other.

"So what's the verdict, what did your director say?" Leonard asked the agent impatiently. If the director said no, they'd have to rethink what their next step with Beverly was going be.

"I have good news for you, Doctor McCoy. After I explained your plan, the director concurred it was a good idea. You will be happy to hear he has approved the scholarship expenditure from our DTI funds. He was cautiously enthusiastic about your plan with two non-negotiable provisos."

"And just what are these provisos?" Jim asked suspiciously. He had never cared for provisos, being too familiar with them from the armchair Admirals who gave him his orders.

"As I have mentioned to you, in spite of the crucial aspect of our time travel missions, the Federation Council's funding for our department is not generous. Although our director has worked hard to remedy the situation, there still seems to be is a profound misunderstanding about our work by some council members." He shook his head despairingly. "Some of them seem to think our agents travel through time like tourists fixing time issues willy nilly, so the Council remains reluctant to give us extra funds. Because of these budget constraints, the director stated that the scholarship credits he sets aside for Beverly Howard, must be placed in a special account to gather interest until those funds are used. Further, they are not to be disbursed as the _Doctor Leonard McCoy Medical Scholarship_ until Beverly is ready to graduate...which will be in 7 years. In this way he will insure that the funds gather interest yet remain available. With this plan our agency will recover some of the credits it disperses. Secondly, we will deposit the scholarship funds in the correct time stream when it is time to award it to Beverly. It is a simple matter for our agency to make it appear as if the scholarship has been in place for a number of years. Additionally, the Agency will make sure the University of Mississippi knows the scholarship was endowed by their distinguished alumni, Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, and that it's to be awarded _only_ to one of his direct descendants pursuing a medical degree."

"Our Director," Agent Dulmar added thoughtfully, "also thought it might be best if we use Dr. Joanna McCoy's name to set up the scholarship in memory of her famous father. However, that decision will be made later. He also feels it would be wise if Beverly is required to have some part time employment at the University. It doesn't matter what type of employment he said. I shared with him that my research about Earth scholarships indicates that most need-based ones attach a stipulation that the recipient must work part time in order to receive the scholarship. The director stated that it is imperative there are no questions asked about the status of Beverly or Dr. Howard's finances."

"Makes sense to me," Leonard agreed.

"Also, and I think this will ease your concern, Dr. McCoy, the director also assigned me to monitor Beverly and Felicia's time stream. When it is time, I will oversee the handling of the scholarship endowment. If for some reason I am unable to do so, then Agent Lucsly will make certain everything is done correctly at the proper time."

Leonard looked over at Jim who nodded slightly in agreement. "Yeah, your plan sounds real good. Seems as if your director thought it all out real well, Dulmar. Please thank him for comin' through on my idea. Also, I'm real happy you'll be the one in charge of monitoring Beverly's timeline. After all, you and Lucsly know everythin' that's gone' on here with those two. I hope it doesn't add too much more work for you. From what you've told us, your agency is already stretched mighty thin."

"It is of no consequence, Dr. McCoy, and it's little enough for us to do to ensure the future welfare of Beverly Howard and, through her, the continued existence and safety of the entire Alpha quadrant. The director feels the same about the urgency and importance of this mission."

"We all agree 'bout that! There's one more thing that concerns me, Dulmar," Leonard added, "I want to make sure that Beverly and Felicia know about the scholarship, that it will be available to her."

Jim broke in suddenly. "Let me be the one to tell her, Bones. I think it's time for me to put in my two cents with Beverly, do some of the convincing. I've been biding my time," Jim confided to Dulmar, "not doing much, letting Bones take the lead in directing this mission, and he's done a fine job of it. However, our time here is running out, and I think the time has come to push Beverly a little harder, be more aggressive and vocal about convincing her. As you know, Dulmar, I've spent a lot of time with Beverly, we've talked a lot over our chess games. I'm confident I've gained her complete trust so what I say to her will carry a lot of weight. If I'm the one who tells her that there's a scholarship available to the descendants of Dr. Leonard McCoy, I think it'll be exciting news to her, and it'll make a big impression...and it'll also mean a lot to Felicia too, don't you think, Bones?"

"Yeah, I do. And Beverly does think the world of you, so anything you tell her will be real important to her, carry a lot of weight."

"That's my feeling too, so tomorrow after she gets home from school, I'm going to have a serious conversation with her about her future, and hope that what I say will turn the tide."

Leonard was silent for a minute. "I agree it's time for us to push some. That child admires you a lot, Jim, and there no one better than you at persuading someone to do somethin'."

Jim ignored the praise. "I'll talk to Beverly, Bones, but I think that you should be the one to tell Felicia you found out about the existence of the scholarship. I'm sure that at her age, and with her financial situation after losing everything in the Moon collision, the cost for Beverly's future education is a concern for her. Dulmar, what's your opinion?"

"I only have your daily briefings to go by, Captain, so I cannot speak first hand about Dr. Howard's financial status, but I can say that I trust both your judgements. May I add that this mission is the most difficult one that DTI has ever undertaken and you both have done excellent work. Our end goal is almost in sight."

"Thanks, Dulmar, we appreciate your sayin' that," Leonard said. "Have to confess I've had more than a few doubts about how we've been doing, the whole future of the quadrant hangin' over our heads has been a huge weight. There's one final thing I wanted to ask you that I'm real concerned about. It's about when Jim and I have to leave Caldos. Beverly has gotten real attached to Jim and to me too, and so has Felicia. How are we gonna' explain our leaving and not keeping in touch with them at all? It wouldn't seem normal after we've all gotten so close. After all, Beverly is kin, and going back to our own time and totally disappearing from their lives without a trace will look real odd, questions will be asked." Leonard looked worriedly at Dulmar.

"There is no need to be concerned, Doctor McCoy. I'm afraid I have been remiss in not telling you that this kind of situation has happened before...several times in fact. I was going explain all this earlier and I must apologize that you've been worried. Out of necessity, our DTI department, has put procedures and staff in place to deal with these types of situations. You see, back in the early days when the department was first formed, there were several missions when it was necessary for our agents to form close friendships and connections in the time streams they were sent to. When the missions ended, unexplained or abrupt departures caused many questions and even alarm to those left behind after our agents left."

"Our first DTI director and his agents discussed at length what to do in those circumstances, how to mitigate possible repercussions, because we could not afford for questions to be asked, or curiosity to be aroused if our agents just disappeared. Somehow some sort of contact had to be maintained. We determined that long distance correspondence between our agents and those left behind was the best solution. It has worked well in those few instances when it has become necessary."

"How is it possible for that to work?" Leonard shook his head thinking of correspondence within multiple time lines.

"In reality the process is not complicated. When it's time for you to leave, you'll tell Dr. Howard and Beverly that the two of you will stay in touch through comm letters. Because of your frequent travels, letters would be best and they will always get to your inbox wherever you are. What will actually happen is this: Beverly and Dr. Howard will write to you and the Captain, their comm in box codes will be routed directly to our DTI correspondence staff who will answer them in your names. It's only in that way that their correspondence to you can stay within their own time stream, so there is no danger of contaminating your time line. We've also found that in most instances, as time passes, letters begin to dwindle, sometimes even stopping completely. Rest assured, however, their correspondence to you will be answered as long as it's necessary. Our staff is quite skilled I can assure you."

Jim noticed the pained look that came over Bones' face. He knew that more deception did not sit well with Bones, but it was obviously the best idea that the DTI had come up with. He and Bones would have to be okay with it. At least Beverly and Felicia wouldn't feel like they'd been forgotten. That would hurt Felicia, but it would be worse for Beverly, a child who, like Peter, had already known too much loss in her short life. If it could be avoided with the correspondence deception, so be it.

Dulmar's eyes grew more serious. "One additional thing I must tell you, Doctor McCoy. If Beverly and/or Felicia should continue with their correspondence to you, and the time comes for Beverly to begin her studies at the University, the elderly Dr. Davis must of necessity, cease to exist... through an accident, or perhaps a sudden severe illness. It would not do for either Beverly or Felicia, when they're back on Earth, to decide to visit you, or even to ask you to visit them. I hope you can understand that that would create an impossible situation, one that we wouldn't be able to arrange. As for Mr. James Davis, we thought that after the "death" of Dr. Davis, it would be best if he would change jobs, relocate to another planet, and as often happens, gradually lose touch with them."

Jim and Leonard were silent thinking over Dulmar's explanations, then Leonard drew in a deep breath. "I 'spose there's no help for it. It's gotta' be done one way or the other. Much worse for us to just drop out of sight suddenly and completely. Jim? What do you think?"

Jim's hazel eyes looked pained as he looked back at Bones. "Guess it's the best thing to do under the circumstances. We'd never want to hurt Beverly and Felicia by just disappearing from their lives."

"That child must be protected at all costs," Leonard agreed. "Hell, that's why I hate all time travel. As far as I'm concerned it causes nothin' but pain, problems, and a lot of sorrow," he declared, already angry at what must be done.

Although his face remained impassive, there was a flash of hurt and anger in Dulmar's eyes at Leonard's words. It was the only time they had seen a crack in the agent's impassivity. His constant stoicism through this complex and very difficult mission could have rivaled Spock's. "But sometimes, Doctor McCoy, it can prevent catastrophic events, else why does our department even exist? Why were Lucsly and I tasked with this mission of trying to save the entire Alpha quadrant? Ours is a thankless job. Most of the time no one is even aware of the work we do, of our interventions to save a timeline, or the beings in it. We don't expect recognition, approbation, or reward for our endeavors, because we know what we do is necessary and vital. However, you and the Captain do know what would happen if we don't intervene. You know the consequences if we hadn't come to you for assistance in saving the Alpha quadrant from the Borg."

Dulmar abruptly got down from the bed. "Now if you will excuse me, I hear agent Lucsly stirring. I'm going to check on him." Not looking at either of the two men, he left the room.

Leonard looked after him, then grimaced at himself. "Damn it! Me and my big mouth! I think I stepped over the line, Jimmy...didn't stop to think what my words would sound like to one of the men tasked with trying to save our whole civilization in the Alpha quadrant."

Jim sighed. "You did step over the line, Bones, but I know you didn't mean it. This mission has been very hard on us too, and you're right, our experiences with time travel have been extremely difficult, even painful." Jim's bright hazel eyes were dimmed with sorrow.

Big mouth indeed! Leonard could have kicked himself for reminding Jim of Edith Keeler and their ill-fated journey through the Guardian of Forever. When would he learn to think first before he opened his big mouth?

"I'm mighty sorry, Jim." Leonard sighed wearily. "Sorry for bringing up sad memories for you, sorry for what I said to Dulmar too. Didn't stop to think 'bout what I was sayin'. Guess I need to go in there and apologize to Dulmar. I best get to get it over with and check on Lucsly while I'm in there."

"I think it'd be a good idea if you did apologize. Dulmar will appreciate it," Jim said, following Leonard into the other bedroom.

Agent Lucsly was just sitting up in his bed, blinking his eyes, looking blearily over at them.

"How'r you feelin', Lucsly?" Leonard asked, pulling out his tricorder and running it down his body. He looked at the readout. "Your temperature is back to normal," he announced with satisfaction. He ran the body scanner over him to check the status of the flu virus. "Looks like the flu vaccine is workin' just fine. By tomorrow the flu virus will be completely eradicated from your system and you'll be over it. You can get up tomorrow morning if you feel like it, and hopefully your appetite will come back. More rest tonight, and just tea and toast again if you get hungry. I still want you to take it easy, because with any type of flu there's always a danger of a relapse."

"I do feel much better, Doctor. Thank you for your care and concern."

"Glad I could help, Agent Lucsly. Sheer bad luck you were exposed to that flu virus here on Caldos."

Leonard turned to Dulmar. "Agent Dulmar, I want to 'pologize for what I said. I know that the work the two of you do is vital, hugely important, and most especially this mission. And you're right. Jim and I do know the consequences if you two hadn't undertaken this mission, so I hope you'll accept my apology and forgive my openin' my big mouth without thinkin'."

"Thank you, I accept your apology, Doctor McCoy."

Lucsly looked at the two men, sudden alarm on his face. "What happened? Did something go wrong with the mission?" he asked wide eyed.

"No, Gariff. It was just a slight misunderstanding on the doctor's part, nothing for you to be concerned about. It has all been resolved."

"That's right, Agent Lucsly. We're on track to finish this mission very soon...we hope," Leonard told him. "Now then, I don't know about anyone else, but I'm beat and I'm headin' for my bed. You need your rest too, Lucsly, so you'll be able to get up tomorrow. You ready, Jim?"

"Right behind you, Bones. Good night, gentlemen. We'll be leaving for Dr. Howard's early tomorrow. I hope Bones and I will have good news for you when we get back tomorrow night."

Back in their bedroom, Jim closed and locked the adjoining door. He glanced at the very subdued Bones already sitting in the arm chair. "Are you alright, Bones?" He asked with concern.

"Yeah...I'm alright, Jim, just thinkin' over some stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Jim asked, as he went to the room com and flipped it on. "This is Mr. Davis. Please send up our usual nightcaps to our room."

Jim came and sat on the edge of his bed to wait for the nightcaps. "Bones, what kind of stuff?"

Leonard sighed. "Just general stuff, Jimmy," he said slowly. "Is what we're doin' enough? Will Beverly decide on a career in medicine? Will those two be okay after we leave? Can we save the Alpha quadrant from the Borg by what we're doin' here? Have I told you how much I appreciate that you left your ship to come with me? Is everyone okay back home?"

Jim left the bed at the knock on their door. "That was fast," he said. He opened the door and took the two glasses from the robot. "Charge it to our room."

He closed the door and handed Bones his night cap. "Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, what we're doing is enough; yes, Beverly will decide on medicine; yes, they'll both be okay after we leave; yes, we can save the Alpha quadrant from the Borg by what we're doing here; yes, you've told me how much you appreciate that I came with you; and yes, everyone is okay back home."

"Jim!" Leonard looked at him in surprise. "Do you really think all that?"

"Yes, I do, Bones. And I want you to stop worrying so much. I know what's at stake, but the agents and us, we're doing everything humanly possible to save the quadrant. I'm confident that what we've already done, the relationships we've forged with Beverly and Felicia will work." Jim smiled affectionally at him. "Now drink your nightcap, and let's get a good night's sleep. Okay?"

Leonard sighed, relief in his face at Jim's reassuring, confident words. "Okay, Jimmy. Thanks." Leonard smiled back at his friend. How did Jim do it? No matter how dire the situation was, when Jim said things would be okay, you believed him. And the reason you believed him was because 99.9 percent of the time, through his efforts, they were okay.


	19. Chapter 19

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 19**

 **"How did it get so late so soon?"**

 **Dr. Seuss**

In the morning, Jim, as usual woke first. It was 0500 he saw, glancing at the chronometer. They had plenty of time to go for a run again today. It would be a good beginning of a momentous day, and they would need to be focused on their end game...keep their wits about them. He got up, dressed in his running clothes and woke up the protesting Bones by shaking his shoulder gently.

"Jim," Leonard moaned, swatting the hand away. "Why are you torturing me? It's too damned early to get up. Look it's still dark," he said, opening one blue eye. "Go away, let a tired, weary man sleep."

Jim shook him again. "One, you're not tired, you slept well all night, I know this because I heard you snoring. Two, I'm not torturing you, I'm doing this for your own good, and three, you promised we'd run again this morning, remember?"

Leonard groaned again. "God, why are you my friend! You know I could be friends with someone who slept past 5:00 in the morning!"

"You know you love me, Bones, don't deny it, and think what you'd be missing?

"I'd be missing getting woken up at 0 dark thirty and runin' in the pitch black!"

Jim didn't even bother answering, he just pulled the blanket off Bones and handed him his running clothes.

Leonard looked at him blearily, knowing Jim would only persist in bothering him unless he got up. "Alright, alright I'm getting up. But if I fall over dead from lack of sleep, be it on your head, Jim Kirk."

Jim just laughed at him.

The hotel lobby was once again deserted as they walked out the front door. There was no sign dawn was approaching yet, and Leonard, sighing for his lost sleep, followed Jim dutifully. They ran easily around the perimeter of the hotel until the sun came up, then went in for quick showers and down to breakfast. Laura took them to their usual table and took their orders.

"Laura, please tell Solange that we're sorry, but we forgot the basket last night, we'll bring it back tonight. Also, Beverly loved the vid you sent her. Felicia said you and Solange would be hearing from them."

"It was my pleasure, and I'm sure the basket is not a problem, Mr. Davis. I'll bring your breakfast now"

Sure enough, Solange came out of the kitchen carrying a big shopping bag.

"Lunch," she said. "I know Beverly is back in school so it's just for the three of you. I did put in some cookies too," she said, giving Leonard a sly look, putting the bag on the table.

Leonard beamed at her. "Thank you, Solange. We sure have enjoyed your lunches."

Jim put down his fork. "Felicia is much better, Solange. I think she'll be going back to work tomorrow. Uncle Rafael is going to check her arm and leg very carefully this morning. He's going to have her take off the walking boot permanently. Maybe he'll put his foot down about her only working a half day tomorrow. Ease back into it instead of going full throttle."

"It might be better is she did...but," Solange grinned, "I bet that'll be a no."

Jim laughed. "Well, Uncle Rafael is pretty stubborn too, so we'll see who wins this one. We'll let you know."

"Harrumph," Leonard growled. "I'm right here, people."

Solange and Jim grinned at each other. "Say hello to Felicia, tell her we're all happy she's recovering so well."

"Will do," Jim assured her.

They finished breakfast, picked up the food bag and went out into the beautiful sunny day.

"I think we should get Felicia outside for a while, Jim." Leonard looked up at the early morning sun. "Sunshine's good for healin', and psychologically, it's also beneficial."

"Good idea, Bones. I believe there's a park close by, and don't you think

that would be a good place to tell Felicia about the scholarship?"

"I do. What if we have a little picnic with the food Solange sent with us?"

"That's perfect. I like picnics. When Sam and I were kids, and dad was gone, Ma would surprise us and tell us we were going on a picnic by the lake. It was always a treat for us, and even though I was a little tyke, I was a good swimmer, so Ma would let us swim after lunch. Sam would stay close by me the whole time, even though Ma was sitting right there." Jim sighed. He would never stop missing Sam, the best big brother possible and it hurt him to think Peter would grow up without that wonderful man for a father.

"I hope your Ma still does that with Peter and tells him stories about you boys."

Jim smiled. "She does, Bones. She tries very hard to keep Sam and Aurelan alive in Peter's memory."

Leonard put out a comforting hand on Jim's shoulder. Besides his mother, Leonard was the only one who knew how deeply Jim had mounted the loss of his brother. On the ship, he'd kept a stern, controlled visage through all the horror of Deneva, but he broken down in his quarters. Leonard had offered a comforting hug, a listening ear, a stiff drink, and gotten Jim through the worst of it.

Jim brought the rental shuttle down, and they walked the short distance to Felicia's house. The security shield was already down and Beverly saw them walking up the porch steps. "Grandma, Mr. Jim and Dr. Rafael are here," she yelled, flinging open the front door. She grinned at them, her red hair still wild and uncombed. "Come on in, I gotta' finish getting ready for school. Grandma, have you seen my hair bands?" She yelled again.

Felicia came in from the kitchen. "Beverly! Stop yelling, I'm right here, and your hair bands are in the bathroom. Your breakfast is ready on the table," she added to the child who was already running to the bathroom, "so go eat after you fix your hair."

Jim and Leonard grinned at the rueful Felicia. "It's like this every morning...," she muttered. "Please, Rafael, Jim, come in." She ushered them inside and hobbled ahead of them into the kitchen.

Beverly was standing by the counter gulping down her cereal. She grabbed her lunch bag, kissed her grandmother, hugged Jim, then Leonard, and ran out yelling, "Bye, see you this afternoon."

After she'd gone it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. The three adults looked at each other and burst out laughing. Jim put the bag of food in the cooler and Leonard shook his head. "Let me check that leg and arm one last time," he told Felicia. "I think that you can dispense with the walking boot today, but let's make sure."

In her bedroom, Felicia took off her robe, and Leonard ran the medical scanner up and down the leg and arm. He showed Felicia the results. "You're bones have completely knitted, you're all healed, Felicia Howard, so let's get that boot off."

Felicia smiled in relief. "Thank you, Rafael. It's cumbersome and I'm happy to be rid of it. I don't have a bit of pain either."

"Good, that's a good sign. The leg may ache a bit the first couple of days without the boot, so try not to overdo it at the office. Rest it between patients and sit when you feel tired."

"I will. Thank you for your good care, Rafael, and for all you and Jim have done for Beverly and me. You've been so good to us."

"It was our pleasure. Now then, let me see you walk...just want to check the steadiness of your gait with your full weight on that leg."

Leonard watched her carefully as she walked across the room a couple of times. "You're walking fine. I officially dismiss you from my care, Dr. Howard," he smiled.

"Wonderful news, Dr. Davis!" Felicia and Leonard smiled at each other highly pleased at her complete recovery.

"Jim and I thought we'd like to get you out if the house today. Solange packed us a mighty nice lunch. How about a picnic in that pretty park we keep seein' when we fly here."

"Oh that would be lovely. It's called Caldos Park, not a very original name is it? The Governing Council is going to have a contest for the school children to give the park a proper name. Beverly says the contest will start soon and on Federation Day there will be a big announcement of what name was selected. The children are very excited," she smiled.

"Great idea," Leonard said. "Now I'll leave you to shower and get dressed and we'll decide what time to go to the park. Jim will fly us there; I don't want you to walk too much this first day without the boot."

Leonard went back to the living room. Jim was pacing impatiently to hear about Felicia and Leonard shared the good news with him. "She's walking just fine, so we'll go to the park in a little while. Felicia is taking a shower and getting dressed. I'll wait until we're at the park to tell her about the scholarship."

Jim smiled softly. "It's going to be a wonderful surprise for her. She won't have to worry about Beverly's higher education. I think this scholarship will be the deciding factor in helping Beverly make her decision. I'm going to approach Beverly from that point of view that her grandmother won't have to worry about finances."

"Jim isn't that a kind of emotional blackmail for the child?" Leonard asked doubt on his face.

"Maybe, Bones, but at almost eleven years old, Beverly is old enough to realize that higher education is very expensive and after the great moon collision, her grandmother just doesn't have the financial resources to help her much. Her pre-med education would be paid through her Leonard McCoy scholarship and Starfleet would be free for her when she goes into the medical track. I really believe that it was Beverly's admiration for Engineers on the rescue ship that caused her change of heart, and, considering the stakes, I'm not above a little reality talk with her. After all she's gone through, she's mature enough to understand her grandmother's financial constraints."

Leonard gave a soft sigh and nodded. That was Jim. He would do whatever was necessary and as his conscience dictated. That was what made him an amazing Captain. Leonard had no doubt that Jim's words would turn the tide, give Beverly that little push to return to her original desire to be a doctor like her beloved grandmother and her many times great grandfather, Leonard H. McCoy.

Around 11 am, the three of them walked to the shuttle parking area. They walked slowly, mindful of Felicia's first time without the walking boot. To Leonard's doctoral eye she was walking without any issues.

Jim flew them to the park and set the shuttle down in the designated public parking. It was a pretty little park, nicely set out by the planners. There was a play area for the children, a small shallow pond with earth like ducks swimming in them. There were benches around the pond, and sidewalks crisscrossing the whole park. Flowerbeds lined the walks with many blooming flowers, some the same as were in Felicia's garden. Mature trees were interspersed here and there and the shade they provided was welcomed. It was obvious the Federation had spared no expense to make the park a small gem within the town.

Jim carried the lunch, now in Solange's basket, and they walked to the pond. There were very few people at the park, only a couple of young mothers with toddlers feeding the ducks, and one elderly gentleman obviously doing his constitutional. Leonard spread out the quilt Felicia had brought along, and the cushions he'd grabbed to put her leg up if she wanted to rest it. The Caldos sun felt good as there was a soft cool breeze blowing from the north. Jim passed around the bottles of water and they sat to survey the park and enjoy the beautiful day.

Felicia sighed contently. "This was a lovely idea. I can't remember the last time Beverly and I came to the park. I work long hours and I sometimes worry that Beverly is missing out on things." She tilted her head back and closed her eyes.

"The sunlight feels good on my skin," she murmured.

"It's good for you, too, Felicia."

There was silence for a few minutes, each one lost in their own thoughts. "Felicia?"

"Hmm."

"Jim and I will be leaving Caldos soon, probably in a couple of days. Jim has to get back to work, and I have to start puttin' all that research in some sort of order. Gotta' start writing soon."

Felicia's eyes flew open. "Rafael, Jim! Beverly and I hate the thought of your leaving." She sighed. "I knew it was coming, and I even mentioned it to Beverly. She got upset when I mentioned it."

"We're gonna' miss you two a lot. But we'll keep in touch, for sure. Comm letters would be best, we travel around so much. We'll enjoy gettin' your letters, right, Jim?" He added staunchly.

"We certainly will," Jim responded, his voice soft, his hazel eyes looking pained, thinking how he'd feel if it was Peter being left behind.

"I hate to see you two go, but I know you have your own lives to get back to. Beverly and I can never repay you for all you've done for us. We must have that home cooked dinner before you go."

"We look forward to it. Anyway," Leonard continued. "Jim and I have some great news for you."

"Really?"

"Jim was doing some research on Dr. McCoy's Alma Mater, The University of Mississippi and he discovered there is a Dr. Leonard H. McCoy scholarship which can only be given to one of his direct descendants, one who enters the pre-med program at Ole Miss. Apparently it pays all tuition, books, and room and board. The only stipulations are the recipient must be a direct descendant of Dr. McCoy, enroll as a pre-med student and have a part time job. Beverly is, at this time, Dr. McCoy's only direct descendant. When she finishes high school the scholarship is hers for the asking."

Felicia's face looked stunned. "Rafael! Really?"

"Yep, dead sure. Jim checked it out thoroughly. We didn't want to tell you unless it was certain. Of course Beverly would have to go back to Earth, and you'd probably want to go with her, but it's hers if she wants it."

Tears came to Felicia's eyes. "Oh, Leonard, Jim. I've been so worried about Beverly's schooling. After the great moon collision, I had to put most of my savings into setting up my new practice, buying furniture for the house the Federation gave us, and our shuttle. It will take years to recoup it, and even then, it wouldn't have been enough, even with Beverly working while going to college. My son and daughter in law were so young when they died, they didn't leave her much. I can't believe it! Does it have to be pre-med," she asked. "I'm not sure Beverly has made up her mind about a medical career," she added dubiously.

"I think she has, Felicia, and yes, it has to be pre-med," Jim answered her. That's the whole point to the scholarship, to encourage one of his descendants to go into medicine. You know we've talked a lot during our chess games. Uncle Rafael's care of you has impressed her a lot, and of course, she loves you, and has a lot of respect for the work you do. I think this scholarship will be just the little push she needs. I'm planning to have a talk with her after school today."

"Oh, thank you, Jim. She adores you and what you tell her will have a huge impact on her and will go a long way in convincing her. Just please don't tell her you're leaving just yet. Will you come to dinner tomorrow evening? We can tell her after that."

Jim looked at Bones and saw agreement.

"That'll be fine, and we'd love to come for a home cooked dinner. Now let's eat Solange's fine lunch she fixed for us." Jim unpacked and distributed plates, forks, and napkins.

Solange had indeed sent a fine lunch. She'd made pierogis for them. Several kinds, with fillings which include potato, ground beef, mushrooms and spinach. The dumplings had been topped with melted butter and sour cream. Along with that she'd sent roasted carrots with caraway seeds, and sliced apples topped with browned butter. For dessert she had classic chocolate chip cookies. Everything was delicious, kept hot or chilled as need dictated in her special containers made for that purpose.

"Everything was so good," Felicia said. "Solange has been so kind. Beverly and I will go to the hotel to thank her in person. Laura too, Beverly has really enjoyed that vid she sent to her."

"They're all good people at that hotel. Jim and I will miss them," Leonard said.

They spent another two hours at the park, and it was almost three when they returned to Felicia's home. Leonard looked at her tired face and suggested a nap. "I think tomorrow should be a half day at work, Felicia. You haven't done much today and you look tired."

"Yes, I'm a little tired, but a short rest will put me right before Beverly gets home from school. I think you're right. I'll call Robert and ask him to change any afternoon appointments until the day after."

"We'll be out on the porch. Call if you need me. You go rest."

The two men went out to the front porch with their reading material. Jim made sure the front door was closed so he and Bones could talk, albeit softly.

"Well that was hard, not the scholarship part, but tellin' Felicia we were leavin'." Leonard turned his rocking chair so he could keep an eye on the front door. "All that's left now is for you to talk with Beverly."

Jim grimaced. "I hated to tell her too, Bones, and it's going to be even harder to tell Beverly, especially knowing we'll never see them again. I keep seeing Peter in her place, and my heart breaks for the child."

"Now, Jim. Don't you be comparing those two kids. You see Peter pretty often on your comm and your mama too, and whenever you're able to get home Peter and you are together more often than not. You do a lot with him and you and your Ma are doing the best you can for Peter, just like Felicia is for Beverly. You saw how happy and relieved she was about that scholarship. I feel good we could at least do that for them. Financial worries at Felicia's age when you have a young dependent are real worrisome."

"I know. I worry about Ma's finances too. Sam's life insurance was Fleet and you know it's not overly generous. Ma won't touch it, says it's for Peter's college. She absolutely refuses to let me help her financially, but I'm putting away money from my salary every month for both of them. Ma won't retire for a long time, you know she loves her work, and she has the farm to maintain, as well as Peter, but I'd like her to have some financial worry free years down the road, so that's what I'm doing."

"You're a great son, Jim, and a great Uncle too."

"She's been a fantastic mom, and Peter is an amazing kid."

They sat in companionable silence reading, until they heard Beverly skipping down the walk. She spied both men, and ran the rest of the way, lugging her lunch bag and back pack.

"Hi Mr. Jim, Dr. Rafael. Where's grandma?" She asked sitting down on the porch steps.

"She's resting, we all went to the park, had lunch, and watched the ducks. She was a little tired, though, so she went to take a nap. She's goin' back to work tomorrow, Beverly."

"I know, we talked about it. I'm glad she's fine now, I was worried for a while, but then I stopped worrying when you started taking care of her, Dr. Rafael."

"I'm glad you stopped worrying. Her injuries weren't too serious, but at her age it takes a bit longer to heal."

"Grandma doesn't like to miss work, 'cause she says if she doesn't work, there's not enough money for 'spences." The little girl sighed. "I wish I could help her, but I'm too still too young."

Jim and Leonard's eyes met. "I think I'll go check on Felicia, be back in a few minutes," Leonard told them.

Jim waited until the door closed again. "Beverly?"

Beverly looked up at him.

"There is a way to help your grandmother, help her so at least she won't be worrying about your college expenses when you graduate. Would you like to hear about it?"

Beverly nodded. "Yes, please. I want to help grandma as much as I can."

"Well, then," Jim smiled his sunshine smile at her. "Let me tell you how you can do that."


	20. Chapter 20

**Time is the Longest Distance**

 **Chapter 20**

" **They always say time changes things,**

 **but you actually have to change them yourself."**

 **Andy Warhol**

Jim woke to the sound of a soft discrete knock on the adjoining door. He opened his eyes and looked at his chronometer, 5:45 am Caldos time. He glanced at the other bed, Bones was still fast asleep. Jim padded to the door and opened it quietly. Agent Dulmar stood there with Agent Lucsly just behind him. Jim put his fingers to his lips and stepped into the agents' room closing the door gently behind him.

"Bones was very tired last night. It was a really tough day, for both of us, but more for him."

"We understand, Captain. We realize the end of a mission can be very difficult. It is not imperative that the doctor awakens now. I just wanted to remind you that your medication for time travel must be taken prior to time transport today, and that you will be returned to your ship just prior to the time when Lucsly and I transported there. We want to ask you where you would like to transport to your ship, and at what time?"

"You can do that so exactly?"

"We can. If you will remember I informed you of this, that we would be able to return you to your proper timeline before the mission began. All will be, with you and your ship, as it was prior to your arrival here on Caldos. You will retain your memories of this mission, but upon your return, for all the members of your crew, it will be as if you never left. I must caution you once again, Captain, as strongly as possible, that you and the doctor must not speak to anyone at all about what has transpired here. I will caution the doctor before transport time, because even speaking about this mission, may cause a change in the time stream."

The door opened suddenly. It was Leonard. "What's goin' on here? Are we havin' a meetin'? I woke up and you weren't there, Jim, then I heard talkin' in here."

"We were just discussing a few last minutes reminders with the Captain, Doctor, prior to returning you to your own time. I was asking the Captain to specify the exact time and day you wish to return to, and to never speak about your mission to anyone except to each other. Doing so might change the time stream once more. If the two of you wish to discuss what has transpired here, and it is safe for you to do so, you may debrief each other in strict privacy. We have found that it helps mission returnees, after they return to their own time, if they talk to each other about what happened."

"What time are we leavin'?" Leonard asked, "and what about this." He pointed to his grey beard and mustache and to Jim's changed appearance.

"Whenever you wish, Doctor, as long as it is today. You and the Captain may wish to discuss the time and place of your return before you decide. As for your appearance, when you arrive prior to when Dr. M'Benga changed your looks, you will be as you were before. When the two of you decide on the time and place, you will check out of the hotel and we will all return to the empty field where we first transported. Remember that you must take your medication, which you have in your medical bag, and which if you recall, alleviates disorientation, nausea, and headaches after transport."

"Yeah, I have it safe in my med bag, ready for us to take."

"Lucsly and I will check out and wait for you outside the hotel, then we will proceed to the empty field from there."

"Come on, Bones. Let's go decide where and when we want to end up on the ship, shower, have a good breakfast and check out, okay?" He smiled at Leonard. "I'm sure going to miss Solange's cooking, aren't you?"

When Leonard didn't respond, Jim looked anxiously at him. Even after a good night's sleep, the doctor looked tired and worn out. "Bones?"

"Yeah, okay, Jim, I'm comin'."

Back in their own room, Jim pulled out their two duffles so they could pack. "Are you alright, Bones?"

"Yeah, I'm okay, Jim." Leonard sighed. "Yesterday was a real tough day for me, it'll be a while before I can get my head on straight. When we told Beverly we were leavin' it felt just like when I had to tell Joanna I was leavin'. It brought it all back to me, and hurt me all over again."

"I know, Bones. It felt like I was saying goodbye to Peter again too."

The two looked sadly at each other. It had been a rough afternoon yesterday, especially compared to the happiness of day before that.

Everyone had been so happy after Jim's talk with Beverly about the scholarship. Jim had been delighted with Beverly's reaction to his news. To his surprise the child had been thrilled about the Ole Miss scholarship. Her face, Jim had told Bones later, had lit up with happiness and relief. "Oh, Mr. Jim! Grandma won't have to worry any more about having enough credits for my college!" Beverly had exclaimed excitedly. "I know she's been worried since we came here to Caldos. She's tried to hide it, but I could tell she was worrying. Sometimes she looked so sad." She blinked hard and had bitten at her lip trying to hold back tears. "I felt so bad, Mr. Jim, 'cause I knew it was about me."

Jim had consoled the child, telling her those worries were now over. He had explained very carefully about the scholarship criteria. He wanted to make sure she understood that she would be required to enroll in a pre-med course of study, and that she would need to get a part time job.

When he finished explaining, Beverly had told him that she understood everything. "I'm sure about becoming a doctor now, Mr. Jim. Since Dr. Rafael talked to me about all the things Dr. McCoy got to do, and gave me those pictures, I've been thinking a lot about it. I found out at school that if I become an engineer I'd have to travel a lot, go to a lot of different places, travel from planet to planet and leave my grandma alone. I wouldn't want to do that, she would miss me and I'd miss her. If I become a doctor I can choose where I want to work, on Earth or somewhere else, and Grandma would go with me."

Jim didn't tell Beverly that serving on a Starfleet ship would take her far away from Earth. Time enough for her to come to terms with all that when she was much older. The two had talked for a while more about her future, then gone inside the house to share her decision.

It had been a tremendous relief to share the good news with Bones and Felicia. The two had been loud in their praise of her good common sense decision. Leonard had hugged Beverly and told her that Dr. Leonard H. McCoy would have been very proud of her, and that one day her picture would be up on the wall with all her other McCoy physician ancestors. Jim declared that to celebrate they should all go out to dinner, and that he voted for hamburgers and ice cream cones afterward. Everyone's agreement was instant and loud, so to hamburgers and ice cream they had gone. It had been a fun and relaxed dinner.

Later that evening back in their hotel room, Jim and Leonard talked late into the night with the two agents. It was a relief the huge weight of the mission was largely over. All that remained was for them to say goodbye to Felicia and Beverly. That would be, Leonard said somberly, the most difficult and painful part of the mission.

And it was. After discussing it at length, Jim and Leonard decided it would be best to say goodbye right after Beverly came home from school. It would be too painful to prolong things by staying for dinner. So yesterday after lunch the two men had taken the shuttle to Felicia's office, helped her and Robert close the office after her half day at work, then taken her home.

Once Jim had landed the shuttle they walked back to the house and Jim had broken the news to her. "Uncle Rafael and I won't be staying for dinner tonight, Felicia. We've talked it over at length and think it would be best to say our goodbyes as soon as Beverly gets home from school. Prolonging things by staying for dinner will only make it more painful for all of us."

After protesting vehemently and at length, Felicia had finally, reluctantly, and sadly, agreed that it would be best. The three of them had gone outside to sit on the porch to wait for Beverly to come home from school. They had talked about Rafael's future research on Dr. McCoy, about the book he was going to write, about the Ole' Miss scholarship and Beverly's bright future, about the current status of Caldos, about Felicia's first day back at work. They talked about everything except their leaving.

When Beverly came up the walk from school, the three adults were still sitting on the porch waiting for her.

"Hi Grandma, hi Mr. Jim, Dr. Rafael." She took a seat by Jim and looked quizzically at him. "You came for dinner early," she grinned at him, dumping her things by her side.

Jim had reached out and taken her small hand in his. "I'm sorry, but we're not staying for dinner, Beverly. Dr. Rafael and I came to say goodbye. We have to leave Caldos early tomorrow morning. I have to get back to work and Dr. Rafael has to start working on his book. Our flight back to Earth is scheduled for tomorrow morning."

Sudden tears gleamed in Beverly's eyes as she turned to her grandmother and Rafael. "Can't you stay longer, Dr. Rafael? Please?"

"I'm afraid not, sweetheart. I wish we could spend more time here with you and your grandmother, but Jim's vacation is over and we really do have to leave."

A small sob escaped her, and Jim opened his arms to her. She dove in and he held her close. "Shhh, don't cry, sweetheart. We'll stay in touch. You'll write to us, and we'll write to you. Your grandmother has our contact information and it'll be fun. I also wish we could stay longer, but my vacation is over and I have to get back to work. You wouldn't want me to lose my job, would you? Just like your grandmother, I have a job, and we have to work to earn our living. You know this, right?"

Beverly nodded, burrowing closer into his shoulder.

"Now don't cry anymore, Beverly. Goodbyes are sad, but we have to focus on our good times together, okay? We had a lot of fun playing chess, didn't we?" He patted her gently on her small back and she nodded into his shoulder. "I'm going to miss you a lot, but I want to leave remembering a happy faced Beverly, not a sad faced Beverly."

Beverly sniffed loudly and finally raised her head. "Okay, Mr. Jim." The child rubbed at her eyes and valiantly tried to smile.

"That's my girl," Jim said softly, kissing her on the forehead. He looked over to Bones. "Now go give Dr. Rafael a big hug too, because he's going to miss you a lot, and then we have to leave."

Beverly reluctantly let go of Jim, and went to Leonard. He stood and drew her into a tight hug. "Goodbye, sweet pea. It's been a grand visit, gettin' to know you and your grandmother."

"Goodbye, Dr. Rafael. Thank you for all you did for grandma. I'm gonna' miss you and Mr. Jim a lot."

"We're going to miss you a lot too, Beverly. You and your grandmother both. You take care of each other." With one last tight hug he let her go.

"Goodbye, both of you." Leonard dropped a quick soft kiss on Felicia's cheek and another one on Beverly's. "Write soon, okay? And you take care of that leg, young lady," he said to Felicia.

"I will, Rafael. My thanks are inadequate for all you did for us, but nevertheless, you have my gratitude. Take care."

Felicia put her arm around Beverly. They stood close together on the porch and waved to Jim and Leonard as walked away.

Packing their duffles now, Jim sighed remembering yesterday's silent shuttle flight back to the hotel. They had, by mutual consent, not talked about their feelings, too sad to speak about their leave taking. They had spent the rest of the day outside in the bright sunshine, walking here and there, exploring in a desultory way, the beautiful area around the hotel. With little appetite and very little conversation, they ate a quick late lunch at a nearby diner, then returned to the hotel for their final debrief with the two agents.

After their lengthy final debrief, they'd gone downstairs for a late dinner which had as usual, been delicious. They'd taken the time to say their heartfelt farewells to Solange and Laura, thanking them both for the wonderful food and for their kindness to Felicia and Beverly. Jim, with Leonard's approval, also left Laura a very generous tip when he paid the hotel bill. Eric Fane assured him that Laura would be very pleased and appreciative of the extra credits. Laura, he told Jim, had several younger siblings and her salary helped her family a great deal. Jim and Leonard also thanked Mr. Fane profusely for their wonderful stay, assuring him that his hotel was one of the finest they had ever stayed in. The hotel owner had been very pleased and gratified by their praise. The two men had then gone up to their rooms and had an early night, both of them too dispirited to stay up late.

They finished with all their packing, looked carefully around the room, making sure nothing was left behind, then went down stairs. It was still very early and the main lobby was completely empty, no one was at the front desk, which was good because neither man wanted anymore goodbyes. The two agents were waiting for them outside and silently the four men made their way to the shuttle. Jim piloted them to the empty field and set the shuttle down in the same place as before. Jim looked around the landing field, and like before, there was nothing to be seen for miles around.

Agent Dulmar approached them. "Dr. McCoy, have you distributed the medication yet?"

"No, thought we'd best wait until we got here. Wanted to have you here to double check things for me."

"Then please take it out now," Agent Lucsly said. "Then I have a surprise for you after you and the Captain have taken your time travel medication." There was a faint, but unmistakable twinkle in his eyes, and a faint smile on the usually impassive face.

"A surprise? What kind of a surprise?" Jim asked, gulping down his pill dry.

"I have petitioned and received permission from our director to show you something," Agent Dulmar said, looking very pleased. "It is something we have never done before, but considering the magnitude of this mission, the most important mission we have ever undertaken, the director felt it would be a just and well deserved reward for the incalculable service you have rendered the Alpha quadrant, for the magnitude of what the two of you have accomplished here. Agent Lucsly?"

Lucsly came forward and opened his duffle, pulling out a small device. It was a round object, with a shiny metallic face, very much like a small mirror. The agent clicked a button as he held it in his hand and it opened in the same way as a communicator did.

"This," Agent Dulmar explained, "is a time viewer, so to speak. I cannot explain how the device works to you, since it will not be invented for another 50 years. Suffice it to say that we agents use it to check and recheck our work in past and future timelines. What I'm about to show you, is again, highly classified, and again you may not speak about what you see to anyone other than to each other. Watch the small screen, now."

"Just what is it were lookin' at, Dulmar?"

"What you are looking at, Doctor McCoy, is the adult Beverly Howard Crusher on the _Enterprise D_ as she does the surgery on Captain Picard to remove the Borg implants and cybernetics from his body. You are looking at the woman who saved the Alpha Quadrant with her medical surgical skills. You are looking at the success of your mission, Doctor McCoy, Captain Kirk. Look. This is what the two of you did."

Jim and Leonard watched in fascination, as the tall, red headed, beautiful, now adult Beverly worked on Captain Picard. They could still traces of the small Beverly as they watched her. One by one, slowly, methodically, she removed the Borg implants from Picard's face, his head, and all the cybernetic implants from his body. Leonard, a brilliant surgeon himself, was riveted, his eyes tracking every move of her sure hands as she worked. "Remarkable," he muttered. "She's doin' damn amazin' surgical work."

They watched mesmerized, until Beverly finally looked up at her assistants and nodded. "That's it. I've finished. His body is purged of all Borg implants. We'll have to watch him closely for the next few hours," she told the surgical team, "but he's going to be all right." She sighed tiredly and stretched her tall, lithe body, looking fondly down at her Captain, her patient.

Dulmar closed the device. "That is all I'm allowed to show you," he said. "But now you have seen for yourselves how, thanks to you, the time stream has been corrected. The Alpha Quadrant will be safe from the Borg Collective. All will be as it was meant to be. Congratulations, gentlemen!"

"That was truly remarkable," Leonard said. "Thanks for showing that to us, Agents. It was amazin' to see Beverly as an adult, a doctor, a surgeon savin' her Captain's life. Did my heart good."

"That's what great CMOs do," Jim told Leonard, "as I well know. I have to admit it relieves my mind, and it makes it a little easier for us to leave them," Jim told the agents.

"For me too," Leonard agreed.

"Lucsly and I were quite pleased that you were given this opportunity. It has never been granted to any civilian before, but it is well deserved that you should be the first. Now then, have you decided where and when you would like to re-enter your own timeline?"

"Yes, we'd like to go back to the day before you arrived. Bones and I were having a nightcap in my cabin, and there was absolutely nothing of importance happening either on the ship, or in the area of space we were in. That's where and when we'd like to be returned to."

"A wise choice, Captain." Dulmar did something to the device on his wrist. "You will not need your wrist transporters this time. I will take care of it from my end. Goodbye, gentlemen. It has been a privilege."

"Goodbye, Agent Dulmar, Agent Lucsly. Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope we never see you again," Jim told him, his hazel eyes alight with mirth.

The last thing Jim heard before Dulmar pressed the button was the sound of his laughter. And with that Jim and Leonard were gone, back to their own time, back to the ship, back to their lives on board the _Enterprise_.


End file.
